6
by KatyRye
Summary: GSR Someone is kidnapping pregnant women and Sara has fallen victim.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm pregnant," Sara said boldly.

She opened her eyes and looked into the reflection that was staring back at her. She had been practicing ways to announce her pregnancy to Grissom for weeks now and she hadn't even come close to narrowing down an effective delivery method. It wasn't as if she had intentionally gotten pregnant. They had taken every precaution and still one of his solders made it past the defense. Sometimes in life one of them just gets through.

"Gil," she said, straitening up and trying to look serious. "I'm going to have a baby."

She wasn't too sure why people used the statement "I'm going to have a baby". It wasn't as if one would be expecting an alien or otter pup. Still, it was yet another delivery method that was logged into the 'do not use' category.

"You're going to be a father," Sara said to her reflection as she gently put her hand on her abdomen.

With a nod Sara stood and closed the locker — it was time to put off the inevitable. She wasn't concerned about Grissom's involvement with the child. She had decided to have it with or without him. As she headed toward his office, she took slow deep breaths. Her heart pounded in her ears and she could not remember a time where she had been more nervous.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, swallowed a lump in her throat, and pushed open the door to his office. The lights inside were dim, but she could see him sitting behind his desk. His head was bent in concentration, but he looked up at her when she came in.

"Hi," he said with a smile and putting his file aside. "How are you?"

Sara returned his smile and for a moment she felt like changing her mind. He could find out about the baby in nine months, like a majority of other fathers. She could hide her growing belly with ponchos and raincoats.

"I'm fine," Sara answered. "Just tired. How are you? Working on anything important?"

Grissom shook his head. "Just looking over an old case," he said. "You look like you have something on your mind."

Sara nodded. "I do," she said. "But I am not sure how to say it."

He took off his glasses and folded his hands on his desk. "I'm all ears," he said in a soft, low voice that was reserved just for her.

"_This is it,"_ Sara thought. _"Do or die."_

She licked her lips, squeezed her eyes shut, and let the words spill from her mouth. "I'm pregnant," she said.

When she opened her eyes, she expected to see Grissom looking wide-eyed and open-mouthed, but the look on his face was as it had been before. He leaned back in his seat with a sigh, his eyes never leaving hers.

"How far along?" he asked in that low voice.

Sara shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I've known for a couple of weeks, but I waited to tell you until the blood results came back."

Grissom nodded and tented his fingers. "Do you… do you want to keep the baby?" he asked.

Sara looked down and nodded. "I do," looking back up at him she added. "I don't want you to feel obligated."

Grissom stood and grabbed his coat. "Let's go get some air," he said.

~0~

Sara and Grissom sat in the Tahoe, with their veggie subs, in the parking lot in front of the Las Vegas crime lab. Both their worlds had drastically changed and Sara wasn't sure if it was for the better or for the worst.

"I don't feel obligated," Grissom finally said after a long time. "But I do feel a need to stand by you."

She reached over and took his hand in hers. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Grissom sighed. "I guess we need to come out of the closet," he said. "One of us will probably get transferred to a different shift," he thought for a moment. "Or you can quit. If you want to take a break and have the baby you can quit."

Sara chewed her lip. "I want to see how everything plays out," she said. "I don't think I can have a different supervisor. "

Grissom nodded and planted a kiss on top of her head. "No time like the present," he said, opening his sandwich to take a bite.

Sara bit into her sandwich as well, but as she swallowed she felt as if she were not alone in her own skin. For the first time since she had found out that she was pregnant, she realized that the food she was eating was being used for the baby.

~0~

"Hey guys," Sara said to Nick and Greg as they laced up their shoes. "Can I tell you something?"

"What's up?" Nick said, looking at her.

Nick was a loyal friend. His slight Texan brogue made it easy to talk to him and his personality made him a good listener. She hoped with all of her might that her friends wouldn't be mad at her for keeping such a secret from them.

"I'm going to have a baby," she said without hesitating.

It was a lot easier to tell them of her pregnancy then it was to tell Grissom, but then again they were not the ones who would be as affected. Nick looked up at her in surprise and Greg stopped mid-lace. The expressions they both wore were of shock and joy.

"Congratulations," they both finally said in unison.

Greg stood up to embrace her and she could not help but hug him back. The easy part of her task was over. Now it was time to tell them who the father was, how long she had been seeing him, and why she had kept it such a big secret.

"Who's the father?" Greg asked, unafraid to ask such a personal question.

Sara sat down on the bench and brushed hair behind her ear. "Grissom," she said.

Sara quickly looked up at both men, but instead of finding looks of ridicule she found a mixture of emotions. Greg wore a shocked look, but Nick's look was almost humorous. Finally Nick left out a small laugh and gave his head a shake.

"Man," Nick laughed. "I figured you two would end up knocking boots before it was over."

Sara's jaw dropped. "You're not even surprised?" She asked.

"I am," Nick said. "But I kind of saw it coming."

Greg shook his head. "I thought you had better taste than that," he joked. "Does he know?"

Sara nodded. "Yes," she said. "We're going to keep it."

~0~

Catherine spotted Sara sitting in the break room and made a bee-line for her. When she reached the table she took a seat and stared at her co-worker wide-eyed.

"Are you two being serious about this?" Catherine asked.

Sara nodded. "I'm guessing someone told you," she said.

"Yeah," Catherine said with a nod. "Grissom did. I wouldn't tell Ecklie if I were you."

Sara scoffed. "I am not ready to step into that bear trap," and then she added. "It's not his business who the father is. For all he knows I had a one night stand with some one-legged man at a bar."

Catherine shook her head and chuckled. "Whatever you tell him," she said as she rose. "It better be far from the truth."

~0~

After shift, Sara met Grissom in front of his car and the two drove back to his townhouse together. Exhaustion was one side-effect of pregnancy that she had felt since she first found out. Quietly Grissom took her hand, kissed it, and looked at her fingers.

"Let's get married," he said.

Sara stared blankly at him and forgot to respond. Was she ready for the turn that her life was about to take? Was she ready for a marriage, a career change, and an infant? She looked at her hand and then quickly at the man who was holding it.

Who was she kidding? She loved Grissom and she had for a long time. He loved her the same way and they were going to have a baby together. She wanted this change in her life and most of all she wanted them all to happen with Gil Grissom.

"Yes," she said. "Let's get married."

Grissom looked over at her. "Do you want to have a wedding or do you want it to be just the two of us?" he asked.

Sara thought this over in her head. She wanted her co-workers there, but she also didn't want a big fiasco. She also didn't want to be married in a tourist drive-by-wedding trap.

"Maybe if we just go to the courthouse," she said. "I don't want to be married at 'My Little Chapel of Love' or anything."

Grissom laughed at her comment. "You don't want Elvis Presley to walk you down the aisle?"

Sara shook her head. "Absolutely not," she remarked.

~0~

The two were married the next day. They said their vows quietly at the court house with only the bailiff as a witness. They decided that neither of their homes was big enough for a baby. Until a new home was found, they divided up their time between homes.

"I decided to quit," Sara said to him finally. "And I was thinking I can teach for a while."

"Whatever you want," Grissom replied, kissing her fully on the lips.

Debating whether or not to take Grissom's last name was not easy for her. She felt that she had fought as 'Sidle' for a long time and that she did not want to leave the name behind. However, a new life was going to be starting soon; a new life with a husband who supported her choice to quit her job and have a baby. It was only fair that she take his name. Besides, in a way she was gaining a part of him too.

~0~

Everyone at the lab was sad to see Sara go, but she would never be out of touch. She promised that she would always come to visit. Besides, she was still used to being awake at night and she would probably be eating lunch with Grissom until her body clock readjusted itself.

Since they hadn't been able to locate a new home yet, Sara had set up camp at Grissom's town house. She still found herself itching for something to do, so she began looking at houses via the internet. Every time she found a house she liked she imagined setting up a baby room and bringing home their bundle of joy.

There was a small part of her that was worried if she would adjust to this kind of life. For such a long time she had been a part of a system that made a difference. She was able to push herself to her limit and feel exhilarated when justice was served. Could she adapt to this change? Was she ready for a new role?

~0~

They started looking at houses when Sara was a couple months along in her pregnancy, she hadn't physically begun to show, but the side effects were all present. It was hard to find foods that wouldn't nauseate her and exhaustion seemed to be her new middle name.

The house they were currently viewing was a spacious four bedroom home. It wasn't bad commute for Grissom, but it also wasn't too close to the city. It had a nice sized kitchen and Sara tried to see herself decorating it or doing other DIY techniques.

"Sara," Grissom said, bringing her back from her daydream. "What do you think?"

Sara opened a door to a pantry and quickly wondered if it were safe for a baby. Was anything in this house safe for the baby? Did she need to look through it again?

"Do you like it?" she asked, unsure of her own answer.

Grissom looked back at the realtor. "Can we have a minute?" he asked.

When the couple was alone, Grissom took Sara in his arms and kissed her on her nose. "This is a nice house," he said. "I know a lot of things are changing, but this is a good change."

Sara leaned into him and let out a sigh. "I'm just tired," she said, and then she added. "I like the bathrooms."

Grissom nodded. "They are nice," he agreed in that low voice that was meant only for her. "But can you see us bringing our baby home here. Do you want to raise our family here?"

Sara wasn't sure, but she didn't want to tell him that. She didn't want to seem so overwhelmed that she couldn't concentrate on anything. She couldn't lie to him though. He would know if she wasn't happy.

"I can't," she said. "I don't feel it."

Grissom rubbed her back. "Then it isn't the one," he said.

~0~

They found the right house when Sara was three months along. It was a nice sized, two-story home that had wood floors. The rooms were spacious and right away Sara could see herself bringing home their baby. She could envision him or her playing in the backyard and taking its first steps in the kitchen.

Moving everything into the house was more than stressful and Grissom had to insist that Sara relax as the movers brought the furniture inside. After everything was situated, Sara was able to sort through books and assign things to their proper place.

"I want this to be the baby's room," Sara said, opening the door to a round-shaped room.

Grissom looked past her shoulder and smiled. "I can see it being a nice room for the baby," he commented. "I think it'll be perfect."

"I don't know what theme I want yet," she said, closing the door and sitting down on the couch. "I was thinking a jungle theme maybe," she placed her hand on her belly before adding. "Or maybe bugs."

Grissom sat down beside her and pulled her close. "You're just saying that," he said with a smile.

Sara laughed. "They actually have a cute bug theme I saw," she said.

She rubbed her hand over her stomach and smiled. It wasn't noticeable to everyone yet, but she could feel a difference and Grissom could too. Already she could feel it moving inside of her.

"You're nesting," Grissom joked with her. "And I think you like it."

Sara blushed and laughed. "I do not," she said. "I just want to provide a nice home for our baby."

Grissom pressed a kiss into her hair and pulled her close to him. He was in love with his wife and their life that was just beginning. He was proud of the baby they were having and he felt blessed to be so happy.

"You hungry?" he asked,

Sara shook her head. "Not right now," she said, and then she added. "I do want to go and christen our new bedroom though."

~0~

"There's the head," the ultrasound technician said as she pointed to a grey mass on the sonogram. "And here are the arms and legs."

"Can you tell the sex yet?" Gil asked, taking Sara's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"We can try," the technician replied, studying the screen.

Sara propped herself up on her elbows to get a better look. "The sex doesn't matter," she reminded.

"Of course it doesn't," Gil replied. "But at least we'll know what decorations we need. "

Sara turned her head away from him and chewed her lip. Lately she had been feeling her temper grow short. Most times she had to remind herself to relax, but sometimes it was a release to speak her mind.

"You know," she said. "I heard you can tell by peeing in a cup and mixing in some Drain-O."

Gil chuckled. "I don't think we'll have to resort to those medieval techniques."

Sara looked back up at him and smiled. "Does the sex really matter to you?" she asked, unsure as to why she was asking.

Gil shook his head. "It'll just be fun to pick out names," he said. "And buy clothes."

"Yep," the technician said proudly. "It's a girl"

She paused the sonogram and printed the screen. Sara leaned back onto the table and waited until she was handed the print out.


	2. Chapter 2

Of all the things she enjoyed doing; she never fathomed that shopping for baby things could be so therapeutic. On days when Grissom was busy, she would enthrall herself in buying decorations for the nursery, looking up names, or browsing through baby guides. She had read so many books from authors who claimed to experts, that she could declare herself an expert. She decided to throw out the manuals and do what felt right.

She decided that she didn't want a typical pink or purple bedroom for a girl. She opted for a fresh-looking mint color that was calming. She had stained the wooden baseboards dark and she had repainted the ceiling. Everything was coming together smoothly. When Grissom came home after work he would change his clothes and help her complete whatever she had been working on.

Sara had been debating themes for a long time, but finally settled on a lady bug theme. Every day she found herself thoroughly searching the internet for crib bedding, window treatments, wall decorations, or other knick-knacks that appealed to her.

"She's going to have a beautiful room," Grissom commented.

Sara agreed. "I think the red of the bugs look really nice against the wall," she said as she held up a wall-sticker for him to see. "Don't you think?"

Grissom chuckled. "You love all this," he remarked, coming around to hug her from behind.

Sara nodded. "I do," she admitted. "I just want to give her a beautiful life."

Grissom kissed her on the top of her head. "She'll have you as a mother," he said. "That'll be beautiful."

~0~

Leaving Sara at night was difficult, but Grissom knew that it wouldn't be for too much longer. He had applied for a teaching position at the University and he was sure it would pan out. They had wanted him to work with their institution for months now and Sara's pregnancy gave him the motivation to make a career move.

It seemed as if his life was going in a new direction now and he welcomed it. The change was refreshing and he now found himself excited as each day passed. He was glad Sara kept the baby and he imagined himself as a father on more than one occasion lately.

The call that he had responded to was a routine kidnapping. A man had phoned the police, insisting that his wife had been taken. Grissom visited the scene with Brass; both men were discussing a football game that had aired the previous day.

When they entered the home, the husband sat on the couch. His head was in his hands and Grissom felt his heart go out to him. Now that Sara was his wife, he could only imagine how distraught the man was feeling.

"She was wearing pajamas when I left," the man said as he described what his wife had had on. "I think they were… blue. with white clouds… or sheep… God, I am not sure."

"What's your wife's name, Mr. Johnson?" Brass asked, his voice delicate.

"Sharon," the man answered.

Grissom peered into the kitchen as Brass was questioning the husband. On the floor he saw broken plates and a smeared, bloodied hand print. He bent down, took a swab from his breast pocket, and took a sample.

"What does she look like?" Brass asked.

"She is short… she has dark hair… dark eyes… her hair is down to her waist," he paused and gulped. "She's six months pregnant."

At that Grissom stopped and looked up. Selfishly he thought of Sara and their unborn daughter. She was only four months along, but he felt a surge of fear go through him. At that moment, he wanted to step away and call Sara.

"Well, we'll have an APB out on her and I'll get the description out," Brass made eye contact with Grissom. "She'll be fine."

~0~

After they had left the scene, Brass was worried for his friend. He saw the worry lines crease Grissom's forehead and he knew what he was thinking. When they were back at headquarters, he pulled Grissom aside.

"Don't let this get to you," Brass said. "Did you call Sara?"

"Yeah," Grissom said, taking a seat. "She was fine, but I keep thinking that that could have been me. That could have been Sara."

Brass sat down next to his friend. "But it wasn't," he said. "I don't know what went on there, but tomorrow she may turn up with an excuse for everything."

Grissom pursed his lips. "I have to go," he said. "I can't be here right now."

As Grissom stood, Brass put a hand on his friends arm. "Don't make this personal, Gil," he said.

~0~

When Grissom got home, the house was dark. He fumbled for a light, clicked it on, and saw that Sara had brought all the painting equipment out of the nursery and stacked it up on the linoleum kitchen floor. The smell of paint wafted through the house, and he peered into the nursery to see what she had finished. The walls had been given a second coat of paint and they looked welcoming.

With a sigh he turned off the light and made his way up the stairs. Sara had decorated their new home with love and care. Both their tastes were represented equally and it was a welcoming place to be. The only thing that was not on display in the house was many of his jarred specimens. They had been shelved in the garage and waiting until the upstairs office was finished.

He peered into the bedroom and saw a Sara-shaped lump in the king-sized bed. He kicked off his shoes, shucked his pants, and slid into bed next to her. His hand slid under her shirt and he gently caressed her abdomen with his thumb. Was he just being paranoid?

Sara rolled over to face him. Her eyes blinked open and she placed a hand lovingly on his cheek. He was so in love with her and even if he was being paranoid, he knew that wasn't without merit.

"Bad night?" she asked sleepily.

Grissom sighed and pulled her close. "You can say that," he said. "Do you feel alright?"

Sara groaned and laid her head in the crock of his neck. "She's really tumbling around tonight," she said. "I think we're having a stunt double."

Grissom chuckled. "Yeah?" he said. "Maybe she'll take care of mom and dad."

~0~

"And this is all part of the miracle of life," the narrator on the birthing video said.

A lot of the younger mothers had grimaced at the video. Some had to excuse themselves during the birthing scene. Grissom and Sara had seen worse. Sara wasn't looking forward to her body stretching to allow a human being passage into the world, but she wasn't afraid.

She was five months along now and she had signed up for birthing classes to better prepare herself for what was ahead. As the other parents stood, Grissom helped Sara to her feet. Her belly had swollen much more noticeably now and she didn't really like the selection of maternity clothes at the department stores.

"God," Sara sighed as she got to her feet. "I'm ready for bed."

She looked back at Grissom, who was stuffing their mat and pillow into a bag. He had been distant and preoccupied the past few weeks and Sara had wondered if he was having second thoughts.

"Honey?" Sara asked, making her way over to her husband. "Are you with me?"

Grissom looked up and rubbed a hand over his face. Exhaustion, worry, and stress were etched into his expression. He stood, smiled at her, and put his arm lovingly around her.

"Yeah," he replied. "Work has been tough."

"Are you sure you're not… having second thoughts about this?" she asked.

Grissom looked at her silently for a moment. "About the baby? No," then he added. "The class, maybe."

Sara laughed, but grew more serious. "I'm serious, Gil," she said, turning to him. "Are you still wanting to go through with this? Tell me now before she's born."

"Sara, of course I want to be a part of this," he said. "I'm just… thinking about this case. That's all."

"Maybe you should take a few days off?" Sara suggested. "We can go to a spa to relax."

"I'm fine," Grissom said as they walked out.

"You can talk to me," Sara said. "I know that things are stressful right now, but –"

"Sara, I'm fine," Grissom said, more firmly then he meant. "Let's just go."

Sara stopped and looked at him with surprise. "Fine," she said. "Let's just go."

~0~

Later, in the privacy of his office, Grissom let himself look over the case files of Sharon Johnson. There hadn't been anything to implicate the husband, or anyone else for that matter, in her disappearance. They appeared to be a loving, caring couple. Like him and Sara.

He put down his pen and rubbed his hands over his face. He was making this case personal and it was starting to affect his life. The way he had spoken to Sara at the birthing class was out of fear, but she didn't know that. He didn't want to risk upsetting her and putting the baby at risk.

"Trouble in paradise?" Brass asked nonchalantly as he took a seat in front of his desk.

Grissom shook his head. "This case has me messed up," he admitted. " I have to pass it off."

Brass agreed. "I was hoping you would," he said. "That or quit," his friend rose to leave. "Look, I'm not one to get involved in someone else's marriage, but if there was one thing that ended mine then it was the job."

"If I take advice from anyone," Grissom said. "It'd be you."

Brass gave his friend a smile. "Hey, I always knew you two crazy kids would make it," he joked, causing Grissom to give a slight smile. "My best to Sara and the baby."

After Brass had left, Grissom grabbed his coat and headed to find Catherine. He found her in Hodges' trace lab, going over a report. When she saw him, she smiled and gave him a once over.

"You looked worried," she commented.

"I have a favor to ask," he said. "I need you to take over a case."

She stood staring at him for a few minutes, but then spoke. "Okay," she said. "Why?"

Grissom sighed. "I made it personal," he said. "I need off ."

"You got it," she said as he walked away.

~0~

When Grissom pulled into his driveway, he had assumed that Sara would have gone to bed. They hadn't spoken since the incident at the birthing class, and he knew he needed to be honest and tell her what was bothering him. After he keyed into the house, he saw Sara lying on the couch with a container of apple juice and a magazine. She looked up at him when entered the house and smiled.

"You're home early," she said as she switched the television off.

"I thought you'd be asleep," he said.

Sara slowly sat up with a groan. "That's impossible when I have a marching band in my uterus," she said. "And I keep thinking about earlier."

Grissom took a seat down next to her and Sara placed one of his hands on her belly. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"We need to think of a name," he said.

"We will," Sara said. "But first you need to tell me what the problem is."

Grissom opened his eyes and looked over at her. "A case," he admitted to her finally.

"Well I assumed that much," she said, taking a drink of her apple juice. "What about it?"

Grissom swallowed. "A six month pregnant woman just vanished from her home," he said. "Her husband came home from work and she was just gone."

Sara frowned. "Gil, I'm sorry," she said. "Nothing is going to happen to me and the baby. We're fine."

Grissom nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I hope so."

~0~

Sara had no way of knowing that she was being watched. She was busy tossing items into her shopping cart and checking things off of a list. With every week that passed, her body seemed to be craving more and more. She felt like she was part of a village that sacrificed humans, and all she needed to do was throw a virgin into volcano and she would be fine.

She was in the middle of sorting through a shelf of vitamins when her cart was hit. She looked up, not thinking anything of the incident because it often happened. She saw a young woman looking apologetic; she smiled and waved it off.

"It's not a big deal," Sara said. "It happens a lot."

"I'm so sorry," the woman said as she straightened her cart and continued down the aisle.

Sara tossed the bottle of pills into her basket, checked her list, and stuffed it into her purse. She was finally done shopping. After she paid for her purchases, it would be veggie sub and ice cream time. In the checkout lane, she loaded her items onto the conveyor belt and waited for the cashier to inch her things forward.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see the same young woman who had bumped into her. Her hair was dark and she was about a few inches shorter than her.

"I was just wondering how far you are along," the woman said. "I just found out I'm pregnant and I'm a little nervous."

Sara, who had always made it a habit to be kind, smiled. "This is my first," she said. "I'm about five months along. I feel like I am twelve!"

The girl laughed. "I haven't even found a doctor yet," she said. "I just don't know what to do first."

"Oh," Sara said, digging in her bag. "Here is my doctor's card. He's fantastic."

The cashier had rung up all of Sara's items and had rattled off the total price to her. She dug into her purse, pulled out a debit card, and paid. As she loaded her bags into the cart, she turned back to the girl and smiled.

"Good luck with everything," Sara said as she pushed her cart away.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey Catherine," Brass said as he spotted Catherine in the hall. "Did Gil put you in charge of the Johnson case?"

Catherine stopped mid-stride and waited on Brass to catch up with her. He handed her a plain manila file and she opened it. The woman pictured in the case file wasn't Sharon, but of another dark haired woman.

"Yes," she said, looking at the photo. "But who is this?"

"This is Kelsey Compton," Brass said, tapping the picture with his finger. "Her husband reported her missing three months ago. Catherine, she was six months pregnant."

Catherine did a double-take. "Has she been found?" she asked.

Brass nodded. "Actually, she turned up in front of her home a few hours ago," he said. "And she has a story to tell."

~0~

Brass and Catherine drove to Desert Palm where Kelsey Compton had been taken. The girl had the same similar features that Sharon Johnson did, but Kelsey was smaller and her eyes rounder. Catherine had ushered any male staff out of the room so that she could talk to Kelsey privately.

In her arms, Kelsey held a new born infant. The baby was wrapped in a blue blanket and his little fists waved in the air. Kelsey cooed to the baby and patted him gently, trying to soothe his tiny cries. Catherine had a flashback to when she was a new mother. Lindsey had been a beautiful infant. She was born with hair so fine, people thought she was bald.

"I didn't run away Ms. Willows," Kelsey had said. "I was taken from my home."

"Kelsey, did you have your baby while you were being held?" Catherine asked.

Kelsey nodded. "There are other babies there too," she said. "I could hear them at night through the wall."

Catherine was taken aback. "You saw other women?" she asked.

Kelsey shook her head. "I couldn't see much," she said. "They kept me in a room. My ankle was chained to the floor, but they fed me. They made me exercise. It was obvious they wanted the baby healthy."

Catherine felt sick. She knew that sometimes women were forced into having babies so that they could be sold. But then again, why return Kelsey and her son?

~0~

"Just wait," Sara said as she held Grissom's hand to her belly. "She'll kick again. They always come in fours."

Sara had been feeling the baby kick constantly, but whenever Grissom had put his hand on her stomach to feel, the baby stilled. He assumed she didn't want him to feel her or that he would have to wait until she was born. But Sara was right and under his hand, he felt a soft flutter.

"Is that it?" Grissom laughed, looking to Sara.

She nodded. "Yep," she said, placing her other hand on her belly. "She's saying 'I'm in here'."

Grissom held his hand to Sara's stomach a little longer, but nothing else happened. He leaned back on the couch and sighed. He never thought it was possible to be as happy as he was at this moment.

"I love you," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm so glad we're doing this."

Sara returned the squeeze. "Me too," she said. "I've been thinking of some names."

She placed her feet on his lap and wiggled her toes. It was her way of telling Grissom that it was time for a foot rub. She loved the way her husband spoiled her. She was one of the few pregnant women that didn't have to ask for food in the early mornings because it had already been bought.

"What about 'Danielle'?" Sara asked.

Grissom ran the name through his mind. "I don't really like it for our baby," he said. "I mean… it's not a bad name, but I don't feel it."

Sara thought again. "Nora," she said.

Again Grissom shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "Those names are just too ..."

"Well, do you have any names?" Sara asked.

Grissom used his fingers to gently massage each one of his wife's toes. "Madison," Grissom suggested.

Sara shook her head. "I just fear she's going to be a little blonde cheerleader who meets boys behind the bleachers, with that name," she said.

Grissom rolled his eyes. "I almost had a stroke and she's still in gestation," he said.

Sara laughed. "How about 'Emily'?" She asked.

Grissom started to shake his head, but then stopped. "Emily," he said to himself.

As if on cue, the baby inside of Sara gave a hard kick. Sara quickly grabbed Grissom's hand and placed it on her stomach.

"She likes it," Sara said as the baby kicked again.

Grissom thought that if he died at that very moment, with the baby kicking and Sara smiling, then he would be happy. There wasn't any way that things could get any happier. All three of them were going to be a family very soon.

~0~

"Narrow the search down to women who are under five-nine, have dark hair, dark eyes, and live within a hundred miles of Las Vegas," Catherine instructed.

Greg tapped his fingers loudly on the keyboard. A few hundred names popped up, and both CSIs let out a release of air. They had their work cut out for them, but they were not about to call it quits. Something sinister was happening in Las Vegas.

"Are you going to tell Grissom?" Greg asked.

Catherine nodded. "Brass is heading over to talk to him and Sara, as we speak," she replied. "Narrow the results to pregnant women."

Greg tapped in the commands and six names, including Kelsey Compton and Sharon Johnson, appeared. He didn't want to say anything, but he was worried for Sara. She was his good friend and he would die if anything ever happened to her. It was a fact that she could be spunky and sassy, but it was all a front. She truly was the kindest person you would ever meet if you made it past her proverbial brick wall.

"Print these out for me," Catherine said. "We need to tell the mayor that there is a serial kidnapper on the loose."

~0~

When Brass pulled alongside the curb in front of his friend's house, he felt a sense of regret. Grissom had had a right to feel paranoid before, but Brass had convinced him that there had been nothing to worry about. Now, he had to go tell his friend that he had been wrong.

Slowly he got out of the car and walked up the front steps. The Grissom house was an older home, but it was the kind that had sought-after features. Sara had given him a tour when he had come to visit. She had proudly shown him the old fashioned bath tubs and the unique, circular room that she was transforming into a nursery.

He knocked on the door and heard shuffling from behind the door. Since Sara had become pregnant, she had become Grissom's main focus. He did not blame his friend. If he had it all to do over, then he would have made Nancy his main focus and not the job.

"Jim," Grissom said with a smile as he opened the front door.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything," Brass replied sincerely.

Grissom shook his head. "Not at all," he said, opening the door wider for Brass to enter. "I was just about to make some lunch."

Brass followed his friend into the living room and was amazed at how welcoming the house felt. Sara had down a wonderful job decorating. He almost felt like kicking off his own shoes and sitting down to eat with them.

He spotted Sara lying on her back on the hard wooden floor. Her feet were propped up on the couch and her neck was supported by a pillow. When she saw Brass her face lit up and she struggled to stand.

Brass held out his hand to stop her. "Oh no, don't get up," he said. "You look comfortable."

Sara laughed and placed a hand on her belly. "I swear she makes three-sixties at least forty times a day," she said as she laid back down.

Brass took a seat on the couch. "I actually came because I have some … information that you two need to know about," he said.

Grissom handed him a mug of tea and settled down in a chair with his own. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

Brass looked down at Sara and gave her a smile. "Yeah," he said. "Everything is alright. But another pregnant woman went missing."

At this information, Brass saw Grissom tense noticeably. Sara propped herself up on her elbows and looked from Brass to Grissom.

"From Las Vegas?" she asked.

Brass nodded sadly. "Catherine did a…" he trailed off and gulped. "Catherine did a search and we learned there were six women in total. One was returned to her house with her baby. We don't know why."

Grissom looked serious and his jaw was tight. "Are they still missing?" Grissom asked.

Brass shook his head. "I am not sure," he said. "As soon as I hear something I'll let you know first. For now I am going send an officer to the house to keep any eye on things. Sara, don't go out without Gil. Stay here until we get to the bottom of things."

Sara nodded. "Yeah," she breathed.

Brass sighed as he stood. "I didn't want to drop this on you guys," he said. "I know you have a lot to think about right now."

Grissom stood also. "I appreciate you telling us," he said.

~0~

After Brass had left, Grissom let a million thoughts race through his mind at once. He had been paranoid before, but now he was in a full blown panic. He couldn't let Sara stay in this city, not with a serial kidnapper on the loose. He was going to get her as far away as possible.

"Gil, can you help me," Sara called from the living room.

Grissom hurried to help her stand. "Honey, I think that maybe we should take a trip somewhere," he said as she waddled over to the couch. "I think it may be safer."

Her mind knew her husband was right, but her heart wanted to stay in her home. They had the nursery all set up and she was comfortable there. Not to mention that Grissom had work and a potential new job starting soon. It would be safer to leave and wait until the storm passed, but would she be able to take it.

If they took a trip, then she would be constantly wondering when she would be able to come home. And if she had Emily while they were traveling, could she learn how to be a good mother and stay sane at the same time?

"I don't want to," she said. "I'm scared, but Brass said he'll have a patrolman outside. I don't want to leave my home right now."

Grissom wanted to argue with her and tell her that it would be safer if they went away. They could pack up a few things and go away until the baby was born and then come back. When he looked into Sara's face he knew that it wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to be kicked out of her comfort zone and leave to stay in a hotel for three months. And how could they afford that.

"Okay, " Grissom said, looking into her dark eyes. "I'm going to buy some window locks and motion lights. We'll get a sandwich on the way."


	4. Chapter 4

When Grissom returned home, he set to work power drilling the new locks into place. He had purchased a floor bolt for the front and back doors, window locks, and sliding floor bolts. After Sara had settled in the bedroom with a pint of ice cream and a box of crackers, Grissom began his work in the nursery. Securing the window locks wasn't as tricky, but when it came to installing the floor bolts, he had to read the instruction manual a few dozen times.

When he was finished, the inside of his home looked like a jewelry store in a high crime area. Outside he installed a motion light in front of the garage. He did his best to aim the bulb away from the bedroom. He didn't want the light going off at all hours of the night and preventing Sara from getting her rest.

After everything was finished, Grissom sat back on the couch and thought. Leaving Sara alone at night was his biggest concern. He was sure that Brass would come through on his promise to stake a patrolman outside, but he did not want to leave his wife and child in someone else's hands.

"Gil?" Sara said as she carefully descended the stairs.

Grissom looked in her direction. "I thought you were resting," he said to her softly.

She sat down on the couch beside him. "I heard you working," she said, leaning into him. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Nothing is getting in here."

Sara laid her head against his chest. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He wanted to tell her that he wasn't alright and that it was a dumb idea to stay in Vegas, but he didn't want her to feel guilty. He needed her to feel safe and comfortable. Sara and the baby were his only concerns and he would do anything to protect them.

"Yeah," he lied. "I'm just tired."

"Come upstairs and lay down with me," Sara said, standing up and tugging on his arm. "Please."

Grissom stood with her and walked, Sara leading the way, up the stairs. While they rested he held her close. Her belly was pressed into his stomach and, though the baby was still, he felt as if at that moment they were all three connected.

~0~

The patrolman that Brass assigned to the Grissom home was named Louis Anderson. He mostly sat in his patrol car parked at the curb, but Sara made it a point to send Grissom out with mugs of hot coffee.

"He's probably cold, that's why," Sara had snapped when Grissom had asked about all the coffee she was making. "And I don't want him falling asleep out there."

"Sara," Grissom sighed. "Don't snap at me; calm down a little. He's are not going to fall asleep."

"I'm not snapping at anyone," she insisted. "I am simply making sure things go the way they need to go."

"You're being controlling," Grissom teased.

Sara stared at him." Do you want me to do it?" she asked in an annoyed voice.

"I'll pass," Grissom said, walking the mug of coffee outside.

Though it had been a week since Brass had warned them about the kidnappings, Sara was still on her toes. She had now officially entered her sixth month. So far the only mother that had been found was Kelsey Compton. The other women were still missing.

Even though this was a very dangerous and sensitive situation, a news report was issued. Sara was actually surprised that the mayor had allowed such a thing. Perhaps he was swayed by the voters seeing him as a man out to protect the lives of babies.

Whatever the case, Sara could not watch the reports. She would always waddle out of the room or have Grissom switch the channel to another show. She wanted to avoid the reports so much, she would settle for watching golf or the Home Shopping Network.

"I feel like an inmate," Sara muttered to herself.

~0~

Grissom had gotten a full panel job interview at the university. He asked if they could meet with him at a later date, but they had no other openings; it was now or never. Sara insisted that she was going to be fine. The university wasn't terribly far and he wouldn't be gone too long.

"Can we please get out of this house today?" Sara asked as Grissom was packing his briefcase. "I am about to flip my shit."

Grissom looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "When I get back we'll do whatever you want to."

Sara smiled. "Thank God," she said. "I was beginning to think I'd never see the outside world again."

Grissom laughed, glanced at his watch, and picked up his briefcase. "This shouldn't take long," he said. "I'll call you."

He gave Sara a quick kiss on the lips and then he was gone. In the quiet house, Sara stood and looked around for something to do. She waddled into the nursery and there she saw a bag of baby clothes that needed folding.

The clothes had been gifts from some of their co-workers. Catherine had sent a gift card, which Sara was the most appreciative of. The onesies and hats all had sweet little designs of animals on them. She hadn't requested gender neutral clothes, but everyone knew her so well that they bought all gender neutral clothing regardless.

The phone ringing in the living room brought her to her attention and she set the clothes aside. The phone screen showed a number that she did not recognize.

"Hello," she answered.

"Is this Mrs. Gissom. Sara Grissom?" a voice asked.

"Yeah," Sara replied. "Who is this?"

"This is FedEx," the voice replied. "We have a package waiting on you that can't be delivered. We need someone to come by and pick it up before our location closes."

Sara was confused. "I…I didn't order anything," she said. "I think you're mistaken."

"The item is for a crib," the voice that sounded neither manly nor womanly replied. "Ladybugs."

Sara thought hard for a moment, but couldn't remember ordering things for the crib. She just assumed she would by them in a department store, but then again she had been buying things. Just the other day a lamp arrived that she forgot that she had ordered.

"Why can't it be delivered?" she asked.

"Well, the package had been missing. We just found it and if you don't come and get it then we'll have to ship it back to the company. I do not think they'll do a refund on it," the voice said.

Sara thought for a moment. "When my husband gets home we'll come get it," she said. "What time do you close?"

"Well, since it is Wednesday we close early. We'll be open for another hour," the voice answered.

Sara looked at her watch. Grissom was not going to be home by that time. She did not want to go out with a serial kidnapper running around, but she also did not want this phantom man to throw a wrench into her life. She wanted to be able to go out and pick up deliveries without having to look over her shoulder.

"Look," the voice started. "Maybe I can get my boss to let me drive it out there. He may not like it, but since it is something for a baby I am guessing you are pretty tired."

Having a strange person come over to her house was the last thing she needed at the moment. She was still hesitant, but then she made the decision to go out. It wouldn't take her too long and she would be back before Grissom knew she was gone.

"No," Sara said. "I'll come get it."

~0~

When she left the house, her assigned patrolman was nowhere to be seen. For protection, Sara had gotten Grissom's gun out of the safe. If she was going to go out of the house alone, then she wasn't going to go empty handed.

Finding the FedEx wasn't too difficult, but when Sara had entered they claimed to have no package for her. They checked their computer, but once again there was no evidence of a package for a Sara Grissom or Sara Sidle. With a sigh she walked back out to her car and slid behind the wheel. If Grissom had come home while she was gone then he would be upset, but he would have called if he had noticed she was missing.

As she sat in her car, she wondered if this had all been a trap to get her out of the house. She wanted to think that she was being paranoid, but she knew that she wasn't. After all, she had been called about the package only an hour ago. Now, there was no trace that one even existed.

The baby inside of her kicked forcefully and Sara squirmed. "Not the ribs," she said to her belly as she winced.

As if Emily heard her mother's request, she rotated and proceeded to kick again. Sara patted her belly and turned the engine over. It had already been a long day and she was debating on whether or not she actually did want to go out after Grissom came home.

Her energy level was close to nonexistent and not to mention Grissom would probably be tired from his interview. No, it was best if they stayed in and rented movies-on-demand. She was tired of being cooped up, but she was too tired not to be.

As she was driving down a stretch of highway, she felt the car shift. She straightened the wheel, but then again she felt the car jolt, and she sensed that she was riding lower. She didn't want to pull over until she reached her neighborhood, so instead she clicked her hazard lights on and continued to drive.

A flash of red caught her eye and she looked down at her dashboard. The low fuel light was lit, but she knew that Grissom kept both cars filled. Something was not right, and she knew what it was. She had been a fool to come out without Grissom.

The car shifted again and she felt the tell-tale jolts of flat tires. Not just one flat tire, but two or three. When she had pulled out of the driveway the tires had been fine and the fuel light had been off. Someone must have tampered with her car in the only place she could think of : the FedEx parking lot.

As the car jolted and rocked, Sara began to breath faster. Not only did she have herself to worry about, but she had to protect the life of the innocent baby inside of her. It had been selfish of her to be stubborn enough to risk her safety. It also hadn't been fair to Grissom, who was on constant pins and needles.

Sara drove along at a snail's pace, hoping that another car would stop. And if another car did stop how could she trust that person? How would she know that the person who stopped to help her was not the kidnapper?

Suddenly, her car shook and died. She tried to turn the engine over, but nothing worked. She navigated the car as best she could until it coasted to a stop. She was only fifteen minutes away from home, but now it felt like she was an eternity away.

She pounded the wheel with her fist and screamed as loud as she could. In response to the sound her mother was making, Emily wiggled and squirmed. She was innocent in all of this. It wasn't her fault that her mother had already contributed to the most horrible thing that could ever happen to her.

She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Grissom's number. It rang a few times before going to voice mail and she hung up without leaving a message. Quickly, she dialed Brass and waited for the phone to connect.

"This is Captain Brass," he said as he answered.

"Jim, it's Sara," she said quickly. "I'm on the I-15 heading home. I think someone sabotaged my car. I need you to come get me."

"I told you not to leave without Gil! Where's Anderson?" Brass asked.

"He wasn't out there when I left," she said. "God, Gil's going to kill me."

"I'm coming now," Brass said. "Where is Gil?"

Sara glanced over her shoulder nervously. "He's at a job interview," she said. "Hurry Jim."

"Sit tight," he replied. "Lock the doors and call Gil."

After he disconnected, Sara dialed Grissom's number again. It went to voice mail and this time Sara decided to leave a message. If she was taken tonight by this assailant, then it would be her own fault. She put her baby in danger and she didn't think she could forgive herself for that.

"Gil, I'm so sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have gone out… I should have listened to you. This is all my fault. He's out there and I am so scared. I don't know what's going to happen to me now. I love you so much."

~0~

As Brass drove down the stretch of highway that connected Sara's neighborhood to the city, he spotted the glisten of Sara's car in the distance. After she had called, he had wanted to have a few words with the rookie cop that he had posted outside of her home, but Anderson claimed that he had been called away by the dispatcher who had reported a burglary.

If something had happened to Sara, then he would have to be the one to tell Grissom. He didn't want him to hear that his wife and unborn child had been abducted on a news story. He knew that he shouldn't have posted a rookie outside of their home. He should have just taken the task on himself.

As he neared the automobile, his worst fears were realized. The driver's side door stood ajar, and for a moment he thought that she had tried to walk in her condition. He pulled up alongside the car, got out quickly, and ducked to look in the car. On the driver's seat he found her cell phone and in the road, a foot from the car, he found a gun.

"Sara!" he called.

Quickly he went back to his car and grabbed the radio receiver. "This is Captain Brass," he said into the mouth piece. "I need back up one mile down 1-15 heading out of Vegas."

~0~

Grissom strode through the parking lot back to his car. He was basking in the afterglow of a successful interview and he was excited to tell Sara the good news. After he had slid behind the wheel he patted his pockets for his phone. The readout told him that he had missed a few calls from her and that he had a voice-mail.

"Gil, I'm so sorry," Sara's voice said. "I shouldn't have gone out. I should have listened to you. This is all my fault. He's out there and I am so scared. I don't know what's going to happen to me now. I love you so much."

Confused and worried, Grissom pulled the phone away from his ear and disconnected. He quickly dialed Sara and waited for the phone to connect. As he waited his heart pounded and his breathing quickened. A million thoughts began to race through his mind at one time.

"_Gil, I'm so sorry,"_ Sara had said.

"Gil," Brass said answering Sara phone.

"Jim?" Grissom said. "Put Sara on. Why are you answering her phone? Where is she?"

"Gil," Brass said, worry and stress in his voice. There was a long pause as Brass searched for the words to say. "Sara's gone."

"_I shouldn't have gone out... I should have listened to you_," her smoky, panicked voice said.

Grissom shook his head. "No, I left her at home. She's fine… she has to be fine," he started to feel panic surge inside of him. "She's safe right? Jim?"

"_This is all my fault_," she had said with tears behind her voice.

"Gil," Brass said with regret. "I've got people on it right now. I'm going to have every man working triple shifts."

"How could she be gone!?" Grissom said, not caring about the successful interview anymore. "I left her at home. She was just fine. Where the fuck was that patrolman at?"

Without waiting for a response, Grissom dropped his phone and peeled out of the university parking lot.


	5. Chapter 5

Grissom's discovery of Sara's car was inevitable since he had to drive down the same stretch of highway to return home. When he reached it, he hurriedly pulled over to the shoulder and exited the car. Brass saw him approach and went to intercept him.

"Gil, you can't come any closer," he said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Grissom pushed his hand aside and ducked under the crime scene tape. The officers that were on the scene stopped to give him sympathetic stares. Out of the corner of his eye, Brass saw Anderson approach the scene. He tried to make a move towards the young man, but Grissom saw him first.

Grissom hurried to the man like a bull charging at a red flag. Anderson was speaking to other officers and did not see Grissom's fist flying toward him. In a split second it connected with his jaw. Grissom grabbed the man firmly by the collar of his shirt.

"Gil!" Brass called, trying to stop his friend.

In all of his years of knowing Grissom, Brass had never seen him hit anyone. He and three other patrolmen struggled to pull him away from Anderson, but Grissom's anger made him strong. In a way, Brass did not blame him.

"Where the fuck were you when she left?!" Grissom shouted his face red with anger.

"For God's sake, get out of here!" Brass shouted at Anderson.

Anderson wiped his bleeding mouth and disappeared among the squad cars. Brass pulled Grissom aside and put a comforting arm around him. Grissom did not say anything, but Brass noticed that his eyes were puffy. His friend's nostrils were flaring with anger.

"Gil, you've got to go home," Brass said sadly. "I'm going to have all hands on deck. We'll find her."

~0~

Sara groaned and struggled to open her eyes. Cobwebs clouded her vision and blindly she reached out for the bedside lamp. Instead of feeling the familiar bedside table, she only felt an open space. She raised her head to look, but she only saw a vast, deep darkness that revealed no shapes.

"Gil?" Sara said, her voice scratchy.

She sat up and put both feet on the floor. She froze suddenly when she heard the unmistakable sound of a heavy chain thump onto the floor. Her breath caught in her throat and suddenly her memories flooded back to her.

Her car had been sabotaged and she had called Brass in a worried frenzy. She left Grissom a voice mail, hung up, and that's when the hand came down over her mouth. Had someone been in the back seat the whole time, or had she been in such a panic that she did not hear someone?

"Gaaaaa," she screamed at herself, grabbing her hair in frustration.

How could she be dumb enough to fall victim to such a dangerous predator? As a criminologist, she had ignored all the warnings of dangers. She even disregarded Grissom's warnings.

The baby inside of her stirred and then settled again. For a moment, she almost forgot about the little girl that she was carrying.

She tried to stand on shaky legs, but a hand clapped down on her shoulder and she let out a terrified scream. When she woke up, there hadn't been noises coming from anywhere else in the room and she had assumed that she was alone.

"Lay back down," a manly voice said to her. "The drugs are probably still in your system."

Instinctively Sara tried to run, but her legs failed her. She fell to her knees and she felt the unfamiliar hands grab her under the arms in an attempt to lift her. She fought, but it seemed whatever she had been given was making it difficult to exert energy without becoming nauseated. Slowly she gave up and allowed herself to be placed back onto the bed.

"What do you want with me?" she sobbed when the man released her.

The tears streamed down her face hot and fast. Soon a hand touched her under her chin. She jerked her head away and flashed a closed fist out into the darkness. She connected with what felt like a man's jaw and she heard something hit the floor. A hand slapped across the face and she began to fight back wildly.

The man overpowered her and pinned both arms above her head. "Look," he said to her in a hushed voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. We want you to be well so that you can deliver a healthy baby. I am going to give you some water and you are going to drink it. If you do not accept it, then we will put a tube in you and force it down."

Sara stopped struggling and lay prone. The man above her was being careful not to put any pressure on her abdomen. She nodded and he brought the cup to her lips. At first she took only a small sip, but then she gulped greedily. The cold water was refreshing to her achy throat.

"That's enough," the man said, taking the cup away.

Sara licked her parched lips. "Why me?" she asked. "What do you want?"

"What I want is to take care of my child?" the man said to her.

"What!?" Sara asked in shock. "This isn't your fucking baby. It's mine! There is no way in hell I'm letting you take it."

The man seemed to ignore her. "Once you deliver a healthy child then we will let you go. Your ultrasound says that you are having a girl and that is exactly what we are looking for."

"I don't think you heard me right," Sara spit. "I'll fucking kill you if you touch her. You have no idea the kind of people I know."

"Oh," the man said. "We know exactly who you are. Your husband is an entomologist named Gil Grissom. You worked with the city as a crime analysis for the past five years. You have mother who lives in an assisted community for the mentally unstable. I know more, but I need to serve everyone dinner."

"I'm not eating it," Sara spat.

"Everyone says that the first day," the man said. "Then they get the tube and the never say it again."

"Fuck you," Sara spat. "Fuck your tube and go to hell. Was that you on the phone?"

"No," the man said. "But we did not think you'd fall for it. Pregnancy brain came through, though."

Sara kicked out, but the man grabbed her leg and pinned it to the bed. "If you fight with us, then we will just tie you up and come in to feed you intravenously. We don't need you comfortable, we just need a baby. Hell, we can even put you in a coma and cut it out in three months," he said. "If you fuck with us… then we'll fuck with you."

Sara wrapped her arms around her stomach. "She belongs to me!" she screamed at him. "I'm not going to let you put one finger on her."

"We'll see," the man said.

~0~

In Brass' office, Grissom sat looking defeated. He felt as if he were in a nightmare, but he knew that he would not be waking up from this. He should never have left Sara alone.

"Gil," Brass said forlornly as he strode in. "I'm so sorry. I should have done something more."

"_I should have been doing more_," Grissom thought.

None of this would have happened if he had insisted on rescheduling the interview somehow. The kidnappings were viral news and the university would have understood. He could have taken her with him and she could have waited until he was finished with the interview. Now he was sitting at police headquarters wondering about what might have been.

Despite all the guilt he felt, he couldn't help but wonder why she left. He felt guilty for letting part of himself blame her, but in a way he did. Why didn't she leave him a message if she needed anything? What could have been so important?

"Gil," Brass said, putting his hand lightly on his friend's shoulder. "You know Ecklie won't allow you to work this."

Grissom did not reply to him. Instead he stared off into a blank void that numbed his feelings. He knew that Ecklie wasn't going to let him within an inch of any evidence, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't call in ever favor he had.

"But whatever you need to do … do it," Brass said.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay," Catherine said as she strode into the garage. "I don't need to tell you this, but do a complete search of the car. When you're finished, do it again. We don't need to miss a thing."

Nick and Greg zipped up their blue, standard jumpsuits. Catherine was right; she did not need to tell them to do their best. They couldn't believe their eyes and ears when they had gone to the scene to gather the evidence on Sara's disappearance. Grissom had been sitting on the pavement, his head in his hands. Seeing Grissom fall apart was difficult. He had always been a solid, unshakable man. Knowing that something was bringing him down and causing him pain was scary to see.

"Greg you take the front," Nick said, heading toward the rear of the tan KIA.

Greg knelt down and grasped one of the rear tires in his hands. It was beyond flat and partly shredded. Sara must have attempted to keep driving after they had gone flat.

"I got a tire back here that looks shredded," he called out to Nick.

"I have two," Nick answered back. " I am going underneath."

~8~

Sara's eyes soon adjusted to the darkness. She saw that the room that she was being held in also contained a toilet, a sink, a table, and an old television. The table and bed were bolted to the floor. If they hadn't been, then they would have been her first weapon of choice.

The room smelled of disinfectant and the floor was smooth polished tile. The chain that was secured around her leg was bolted to the floor. It had just enough slack to get to the toilet, but that was as far as it would reach.

There were no clocks in the room and there were no windows. In the darkness, she was unaware of how much time was passing or what day it was. She did not know how long she had been unconscious or what was to become of her and her child.

The urge to urinate had been bothering her, but she tried to resist as long as she could. There was glass panel window in the door and privacy was out of the question. Finally, the urge became too unbearable and she limped to the toilet.

The only other thing she could do was cry. She lay on the cool floor and let her tears flow for her unborn daughter. She hated herself for being stubborn enough to fall for such an obvious trap. What was Grissom thinking right now? Was he blaming her as much as she was blaming herself?

Suddenly, overhead lights flickered on and light flooded the room. For the first time she could make out the colors around her. The walls were painted white and on the wall hung pictures of flowers and other scenic landscapes. It was as if someone was trying to make her stay at this horror hotel pleasant.

The sound of squeaky, rolling wheels brought her to her feet and she hurried to crouch down in the farthest corner from the door. Soon the door opened and one of her masked captors entered carrying a tray of food.

"Chow time," the man said cheerfully, setting the tray on the table and pulling a chair out for her.

Sara glared from her spot on the floor. "I'm not eating it," she said. "You can just shove it up your ass."

The man seemed unfazed by her response. "I warned you what would happen if you refuse," he stated. "I'm giving one last chance, six."

Sara did not answer; she remained silent and refused to move. Finally the man sighed and disappeared. There was no way she was going to ingest food that some random kidnapper put in front of her. How did she know that he was not out to hurt her baby?

Moments later the man returned with another masked figure. They both came around the bed towards her and Sara balled up her fists. If they planned to force-feed her, then they would have a fight on their hands.

"I'll grab her legs," the man said, bending over her.

The other figure nodded. "She looks like a fighter," a female voice answered.

As they reached for her, Sara kicked out and connected with the man's jaw. She twisted her body wildly, being careful of her stomach. The woman tried to grasp both of her arms, but Sara's fist flashed out and connected with something fleshy.

Despite how much she struggled, Sara somehow found herself being dragged out into the center of the room. For a moment the man released her and she took this opportunity to try to fight her way out of the woman's, surprisingly tight, hold on her.

When the man returned he was carrying a pump and a pair of handcuffs. He grasped ahold of Sara's feet once again, put them underneath him, and sat down hard. The pain of his weight on her small delicate feet was massive, but she did not cry out. He tossed the cuffs to the woman and she quickly cuffed Sara to the bed's leg.

"It only takes one time," the man said as he unwound the rubber tube that was connected to the pump.

For the first time in a long time, Sara felt afraid of somebody. She had done her best to put up a wall of iron-will, but this was not a situation that called for stubbornness. She needed to be afraid for her baby.

"I'll eat it," she said finally. "I'm sorry. I'll eat."

The man shook his head. "I gave you a chance. You'll find that here you only get one chance. Our motto is 'Do what is best for the baby'."

The man took Sara's cheeks between his thumb and first finger. He squeezed until her mouth was forced open. She was utterly terrified now.

~0~

Brass pressured Grissom until he reluctantly returned home. For a long time he sat in his car, not wanting to go inside. He did not think that he would be able to face the emptiness that awaited him. Eventually he found himself standing at the front door, but he didn't remember climbing out of the car.

Inside, the silence was as heavy as he had feared. It weighed on his heart like a million bricks. Even though he had only been married a few months, he had been more comfortable with Sara than with anyone. He had grown content with finding Sara in bed asleep when he came home. It made his day complete to curl up beside her.

"Sara," he called to the empty house. "I'm back."

At that moment, he would have given anything to hear her footsteps as she padded out of the nursery. Her face would sometimes be bright with excitement, or sometimes drawn with exhaustion. She would have waddled over to him and embraced him tightly. She had always been glad to see him home safe and that was something he never doubted.

"It's been such a terrible fucking day," he sobbed out. "I need you now."

Instead of hearing her smoky voice reassure him, he heard the loud ticking of the clock. Frustrated, he grabbed the clock off the mantel and threw it into the kitchen. It landed against a wall where it erupted into a mess of cogs and wood.

"Why didn't you wait on me?!" he yelled, more loudly than he anticipated. "What did you need that I couldn't have brought you?!"

In a way, he felt betrayed by her. He hated himself for thinking it, but he was angry. He wished he had convinced Sara that leaving the city was the best choice, but he had relented to keep her comfortable. Why couldn't she have just stayed in the house?

"Baby I'll find you," he said into his hands. "I'm coming."

~0~

Grissom trudged slowly into CSI headquarters. Judy greeted him kindly, but he did not respond to her. He was tunnel-minded on Sara and baby Emily. He didn't want to imagine what she was going through and how scared she was.

"Cath, can I talk to you?" Grissom asked as he walked slowly into his co-worker's office.

Catherine looked up from her file. "Gil," she said as she stood to hug her friend. "What do you need? Can I do anything for you?"

Grissom looked down. He was about to ask his friend to break protocol for him, but he needed to be active in the search for Sara. He wanted to stand up and be accountable for his family.

"I need to see what you have," he stated. "You need to let me see everything."

Catherine looked at her friend sympathetically. "Gil… I," she paused and looked at him seriously. "We'll bring her home, Gil."

Grissom shook his head. "How many times do we say that to be people and not deliver?" he asked. "I cannot sit by and wait when I know what is actually going on. I need to see the evidence… I need to help her."

Catherine rubbed her temples. She wanted to help her friend more than anything, but this case was so high profile that Ecklie had demanded that Grissom keep his distance. Her hands were tied, but that hadn't stopped her before.

She closed her file. "Stay here," she said as she stood.

~0~

Sara looked down at her tray of food and pushed grains of rice around with her spoon. Her captors had been right about one thing. One round of being force-fed was enough to scare her into compliance. She found it distressing that she was being fed healthy, wholesome food. It was everything that was recommended to expectant mothers and she felt like a breeding horse.

Aside from the rice, Sara was served two pieces of sliced turkey and steamed carrots. There was no dessert, but there was a tall container of water and a vitamin. Apparently, despite everything they knew about her, no one got the memo about her food choices.

When she had been left with her tray, she had been given a time limit. Soon they would be back, and if she did not have her tray clear then she would be given the pump again. The memory of the sleek plastic sliding down her throat was enough to make her gag.

She shoveled her food in and looked around at her surroundings. Ambushing her captors had been her first thought, but there was nothing to use as a weapon. The spoon she was given was plastic and the tray she was eating on was Styrofoam. There was no lid to the toilet tank and the television was bolted to its table. The only thing she could use was the chain around her ankle.

When the heavy door to her cell opened, Sara scooped the rest of the food down and attempted to stand. Her captor, the male, snapped his fingers at her and pointed towards the container of water and the vitamin. Sara popped it into her mouth and drank the water down.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" her captor said, taking her garbage and leaving.

After he left, the television behind her turned on. She hadn't tried to turn it on herself, so it was apparently controlled by her captors as a sick form of reinforcement. The screen showed an episode of _Mash_ where Hawk-Eye was buying a purple soda for Radar. Not knowing what else to do, Sara sank onto the bed. Was this how the next three months were going to play out?


	7. Chapter 7

Catherine had come through for him. Grissom sat in Catherine's locked office, sorting through the evidence that she had brought him. Present was all the case files of the missing women; including Sara.

"She left me a voice mail," he whispered to Catherine. "She knew he was coming."

Catherine was a little surprised by this information. "I'm going to need it," she said. "She had something the other women didn't. She knew what was happening."

Grissom looked at Nick's notes regarding Sara's car. "Cut gas line," he stated as he wrinkled his forehead. "This didn't happen at home. There would have been gasoline in the driveway."

Catherine nodded. "We took a sample of her gasoline," she said. "But we can't go all over the city checking every parking lot for gasoline. That is like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

Grissom looked at his friend. "Well… let's just go backwards," he said.

~0~

Sara lay on her back on the tile floor and stared up at the ceiling. Aside from lunch, she hadn't interacted with her captors. The television was still on, but now it was showing an episode of _The Brady Brunch. _

Inside of her, Emily tumbled around. She tapped her finger against the side of her stomach and waited for a response. None came, but the baby continued to move until she became comfortable, then she settled.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," Sara whispered to her unborn infant. "Your momma really let you down."

Though the baby was still, Sara could feel a small flutter of her tiny heartbeat.

"You deserve so much better than me," she said, rubbing her hand over her belly. "Let me tell you though, you are so loved by us."

Sara thought back to the last moment she saw Grissom. Just the thought of him pained her beyond all thought. By now, he knew what had happened to her. He had come home from his interview to find the house quiet and his wife gone. Had he gotten her voice mail?

It had been her idea to stay in Vegas and not leave town. He had been rightfully worried and concerned about his family, and she had gone and confirmed his worst fear.

"I'm scared now," she said. "I want to tell you that I will get us out of this, but I don't know anymore."

~0~

Greg and Nick walked in the hot sun. They were using a gasoline detector and had begun at the location of the car. The amounts of fuel were low, but it was enough to leave a trail.

"I can't imagine what Grissom is going through," Greg said. "He's been so happy."

Nick shook his head and continued to walk. "Man, I don't even want to think about it. If I were him I'd be a wreck."

~0~

At home, Grissom was busy searching, but he didn't know what for. The bedroom was a mess. Dresser drawers were pulled out and their contents were emptied out onto the bed. He imagined that if he could find one thing, just one, then he would have something to go on.

He knelt on the floor, pushed back the bedspread, and looked under the bed. The only thing there, besides the occasional shoe, was the gun safe. They had both been convicted to purchase the safe if they were going to have children in the house.

The safe opened by fingerprint recognition, so Grissom pressed his fingers against the appropriate places and the safe popped open. It was empty.

Sara had taken the gun.

Quickly Grissom grabbed his phone and dialed Catherine.

"Gil," Catherine said when the phone connected. "I was just about to call-"

"My gun is gone," Grissom said as he interrupted her. "She took it. Maybe she-"

Catherine interrupted him. "I was just about to call you and say that Bobby just confirmed that the gun found at the scene was yours," she stated. "There were no bullets missing. Sara never fired that gun."

~0~

As Sara learned, nights were the loneliest. Even when they had been dating, Grissom had always been by her side. His soft snoring was a type of lullaby that lulled her to sleep. His warm body was the reassurance that she was safe.

Emily became most active at night. It was at night that Grissom would place his warm, gentle hands on her belly and feel the baby move. He would then place soft kisses across her abdomen and whisper about how excited he was to meet her.

These moments were moments that she would probably never experience again. Emily would be born in this place and her captors would take her has soon as Sara had given birth. She would not be able to nurse her daughter, nor would Grissom be able to rock his daughter to sleep.

All their happiness has been worthless.

"No," Sara finally whispered to herself. "They are not getting you. You belong to me. You are the daughter of Sara and Gil Grissom."

As if Emily understood, she poked a tiny foot out. If she closed her eyes, Sara could almost see it. She wanted to be able to dress her little girl in clothes and put small little socks on her feet.

"I will get that chance," she said. "Don't give up on me, Gil."

~0~

Nick and Greg followed the gasoline trail until it began to grow dark, then they still followed it. Eventually they stopped in the middle of a FedEx parking lot.

"This must have been where she was when her car was tampered with," Greg observed.

Nick agreed and brought his phone to his ear. "Jim I followed the Hydrocarbon trail and it began at a FedEx. I need you to call the manager and get this place opened up for me."

The manager of the particular location was not very pleased about being disturbed, but neither Nick, Brass, or Greg really cared.

"We need to see your video surveillance of the parking lot," Jim said. "I want it fast."

The manager shook his head. "No can do" he said. "We only observe the inside."

Brass groaned. "Gimme what you got!" he demanded.

The man nodded and waved the men to a back room. "This is where the magic happens," he said.

"I want to see everyone who visited this location at about one-thirty this afternoon," he demanded. "I am looking for a tall, brunette, who is pregnant; hard to miss."

The manager shook his head. "I wasn't up front today," he said. "But we'll roll through the footage."

The manager moved through the footage in reverse until Greg pointed at the screen in a hurried rush. "Go back!" he said.

The manager stopped, rewound, and there was Sara. She seemed to be talking in a hurry, trying to convince the desk worker of something.

Brass tapped at the screen. "I want to talk to him," he said.

~0~

Time passed without any new information. The desk worker who had been on shift at the FedEx location claimed that Sara said she had gotten a call about a package that she was supposed to pick up. A search of Sara's phone revealed one number that was unknown. Warrick called the number, but it was disconnected.

Grissom began to sink into a dark depression. He didn't want to sleep at home, so he was staying in a hotel nearby. How could he sleep in that bed without Sara's warm, delicate frame next to his? How could he come home and not see her beautiful, excited face?

He spoke to Catherine daily about Sara, but all leads were cold. He couldn't stand it any longer, so he began to have a beer or two before attempting to sleep. He wanted so badly to curl up and sink into a pit where nothing could bother him, but he knew that that was not the way to help Sara.

He needed to speak to Kelsey Compton.


	8. Chapter 8

Grissom wasn't allowed to speak to Kelsey directly. Instead he stood in the observation room and watched as Catherine spoke to her. He had written down some of his own questions and he hoped she would ask them.

"Hi again, Kelsey," Catherine said to the young woman. "I know we asked you a tirade of questions before, but we need just a few more answers."

Kelsey nodded. "Anything to help," she offered.

Catherine folded her hands. "Tell me about your abduction again," she said. "Try to be as detailed as you can."

Kelsey took a deep breath. "My husband had just gone out," she started. "And I was in the upstairs bedroom trying to get comfortable. I heard glass shatter down stairs and I went to check on it. We have a cat, so I assumed he had knocked something over."

She stopped and looked toward the mirror. For a moment, Grissom wondered if she could see him. He felt guilty that he had Catherine drag her back to the station to relive those memories, but Sara and the other women were still missing. Kelsey could be the only key.

"And when I came down the stairs… I just remember black," she said. "And then I woke up in a room."

Catherine was curious. "What kind of a room?" she inquired.

Kelsey grimaced. "It was dark at first," she described. "But when they turned on the lights it was like a hospital room. Everything was bolted to the floor. They have televisions, but always played controlled programs."

Catherine looked confused. "Like a holding tank of sorts?" she asked.

Kelsey nodded. "We had meals four times a day," she explained. "And if we refused we were given the tube."

"You mean they force-fed you?" Catherine said.

Kelsey nodded. "And we exercised," she said. "They took our pulse and listened to our heartbeats. They had everything there to deliver a baby."

Catherine looked at the list of questions Grissom had given her. "How far along were you when you were taken?" she asked.

"About 7 months."

"And you were expecting a boy?"

Kelsey looked up. "No," she replied. "A girl…I was supposed to have a little girl."

~8~

The door to Sara's cell opened and her male captor entered. He tugged her to her feet and slipped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists.

"Just so we're clear," he said, tugging her out of the room.

It was her first time out of her room since she had arrived. There were other doors, but the windows had been covered so she couldn't look into them.

"My name in Sara!" she called out.

Her captor slapped a hand over her mouth. "Jesus, why won't you just follow the rules?" he asked.

She was rushed through the hallway and into a bigger room. There she saw a treadmill, a gymnastic mat, and various weights. It looked like a room made for potential ballerinas.

"Okay," the man said as he uncuffed her. "Thirty minutes on the treadmill."

He pointed towards it and Sara looked back at him like he was crazy. She stepped onto the platform and her captor hit a few buttons. The machine started at a brisk pace and she had to jog lightly to keep up with it. The sickest part of everything was that they were growing her baby like a dog in a mill. Did they want to sell little Emily?

"Do you want to sell my baby?" she asked.

Her captor didn't answer her. Instead he walked around and listened to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. He wrote some information into a folder and slipped it into a drawer.

~8~

Gil had something to go on. Kelsey had said that her captors had everything they needed to deliver a baby. She also said that they made her eat right and exercise. To him, that meant that this kidnapper worked in the medical profession. All he needed to do was access the medical files of the missing women, but all he had was Sara's. The rest of the women were under doctor-patient confidently and that was something only Catherine could handle.

There had only been two doctors that they had seen: Sara's gynecologist, who was an older woman with grown children, and their obstetrician. Grissom brought this information to Catherine, who then asked Kelsey who her obstetrician was. They were both different and Grissom felt like he had hit a brick wall. Catherine agreed to visit the other families.

"You need to go home," Catherine told him. "Not to a hotel, but home."

Grissom shook his head. "She's everywhere," he said to her. "I can't go home and not have her there."

Catherine sighed. "Do something then because you need a shower," she said, giving him a small smile.

~0~

Catherine had taken on the daunting task of approaching each of the victim's families and gathering the women's medical information. Each one of the women had different doctors and Catherine felt frustration. There had to be one clue somewhere that would break the case.

"I have gone through this over and over," Catherine said to Nick. "There is nothing. There are too many doctors in the state of Nevada to go through them one by one."

"Think about it," Nick offered. "There has to be something. Did the women use the same clinic?"

Catherine shook her head. "No, Sara used the same one as Jenifer Colt," she said, sliding a picture in front of him. "But everyone else was different."

Nick scratched his head. "What about lab work?" he asked.

Catherine looked at him. "I hadn't even thought of that," she admitted.

~8~

On her way back to her room, Sara eyed the key ring that was dangling from her captor's pocket; there were so many. How would she know which one to use if she ever got her hands on it, and then what would she do? Where would she run?

Her captor noticed her eyeing the keys. "You wouldn't be the first girl who tried to grab them," he said. "I've been doing this for a long time."

"Doing what?" Sara demanded.

Her masked jailer didn't answer her, but Sara kept talking. "This is my little baby," she said. "You have no right to her. Are you selling babies here? "

Back in the room he secured the ankle bracelet back onto her. He didn't answer any of her questions, but instead left. Dinner would be served soon. She could tell by the way Emily began to squirm and poke her feet out. The tiny baby had fallen into a routine, and this saddened Sara. Emily didn't know that there were crazy people who were farming her like a catfish only to sell her.

"Emmy," Sara said as she rubbed her belly. "Don't come out too soon. Stay put until daddy finds us."

~8~

For Sara, the days ran into each other and she hadn't any sense of time, but for Grissom it was different. He knew exactly how long it had been since the moment he last saw his wife. It had been nearly a month since Sara had gone missing and he found himself dating her pregnancy with a calendar. He imagined what if she were with him, she would be waddling around the room and requesting odd items from the grocery store.

He had stopped blaming her for what had happened. No one should be expected to have their lives controlled by fear. She should have been able to go out and enjoy herself. It wasn't fair to her that she had to stay locked up, guarded by a patrolman. It was _him_ that had failed her. He had neglected to protect his family.

~8~

She had heard a baby cry, she had been positive. Sara sat up and strained her ears, but all she could hear was the drone of the central air conditioner. It was pitch black in the room, but Sara got to her feet and held her hands out until she touched the wall. Then she heard it again, accompanied by a woman sobbing.

She put her ear to the vent and put a hand over her mouth. She listened intently and she heard soft mumbling coming from the room right next to her. She couldn't make out any words, they were too low. Then she heard one single word that caused her to back away from the wall.

"Three," the voice said.

Sara put her hand on her belly and climbed back into bed. Hadn't they called her Six?


	9. Chapter 9

Sara opened her eyes and stretched out. She felt her back crack satisfyingly as she yawned and wiggled her toes. Sunlight streamed in through the crack between the bedroom curtains. She rested a hand on her belly. She was now full-term and any day now she would be going into labor. Beside her, Grissom was also waking up as well. Her life was happy and she felt content.

"Morning," Grissom said sleepily as he kissed her on the cheek. "Today is the big day."

Sara was confused. "What day?" she asked.

Grissom pointed at her belly. "That baby," he said. "It'll come out today."

Sara snickered, she was sure he was joking. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "And don't call her an 'it'."

Grissom looked at her oddly. "Sara, we're not keeping it," he said to her. "We talked about this. We're not having children."

"No," she insisted as she pushed back the blanket. "We decided to have it."

Grissom sighed and rose from the bed. "I'm not talking about this again," he said as he opened the closet.

Sara sat up and put her hand to her forehead. What exactly was he talking about? They had been preparing for Emily's arrival for months, and everything was ready for her. He had been so excited to be a father. Now, he was in a hurry to give his daughter away.

"Get dressed," he said to her. "They'll be here in an hour."

"Who will?" she asked.

"You know who," Grissom said firmly. "Dammit Sara, where is your brain this morning?"

Sara tried to stand. "I need to get out of here," she said. "There is something wrong with you and I wish you told me all of this before we married. This isn't what we planned."

A wave of nausea washed over her as she tried to rise and she felt herself fall back into bed. What the hell was wrong with him? What happened to the kind and loving man she married?

Grissom chuckled. "Where do think you'll go?" he asked. "Baby, you aren't going anywhere."

She looked down at her ankle and saw that he was right — she wasn't going anywhere. Attached to her foot was a cuff. She followed a long, thick chain with her eyes and saw that it was secured to a bolt in the middle of the room. She looked back at her husband with shock and hurt. This man was not the Gil Grissom she knew.

"Unlock me," she demanded.

Grissom chuckled at her again and shook his head. She pulled at the chain that was secured to the floor. It was welded to its bolt tightly and it wouldn't budge.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" she asked as he walked back into the room.

He set a small stack of clothes next to her and looked at her intently. "Why should we keep it?" he asked.

Sara winced when he said the word 'it' because it was said with such disdain. "Because we're going to be a family," she said.

"You don't deserve a baby," he said as he turned back towards the bathroom. "This is all your fault. You left the house, now this is what you get."

She heard a car door slam outside and Grissom walked over to peer out the window. He smiled and turned back to what he had been doing. He snapped his fingers at Sara and pointed at the clothes he had brought in.

"I'm not getting dressed. You're unlocking me so I can fucking leave," she said.

Grissom ignored her and Sara felt tears well-up behind her eyes. She pulled at the chain bolted to the floor again and screamed at him to set her free. He didn't seemed bothered but anything she said or did. She picked up the clothes he brought her and threw them in his direction.

"Oh, so this is how it's going to be, Six?" he said, picking the clothes up.

There was a knock at their bedroom door and Sara saw Brass, one her best friends and father-figure. She looked at him with pleading eyes, but he looked past her.

"Ready?" he asked Grissom.

"She's being difficult today," Grissom replied.

Brass waved him off. "You know the hormones," he said, making a circular motion with his hand. "worse than a teenager."

Sara grabbed the lamp next to the bed. "Fuck you both!" she yelled, throwing it at them.

Grissom dodged it and it shattered on a back wall. Where was the loving man who had talked to her belly? Where was the man who had rolled up his sleeves to help her decorate the nursery?

"I'll get her legs," Grissom said to Brass. "She gets pretty wild."

Inside of her, Emily squirmed. How could two of the most important men in her life turn on her like this? How could they treat her this way?

"Sara, you should have listened to us," Brass said as he grabbed her wrists. "None of this would have happened."

~8~

Sara sat up in a panic and reached her arms out for something to grab, but she could see nothing. The only noise she could hear was her own panicked breathing. It took her a few moments to realize that Brass and Grissom weren't there. She was in her cell and it had all been a nightmare.

She threw her legs of the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. Her hair was damp with sweat and her heart was pounding so hard that she swore she could hear it. Inside of her, Emily churned and poked a foot out.

"Bad dream," she said to her daughter as he tried regain control of her breathing.

The lights flickered on and she was greeted by the same white room that she had been seeing for days. She turned and scratched a tiny line in the wall. The paint job was bad and she was able to make tally mark-like lines. Since she had started counting, she had been in her cell for twenty days.

Lately, she had established a routine. After the lights came on, she made another mark in the wall. After that she would use the bathroom, make the bed, and do toe-touches until breakfast came. She no longer had a chair to sit in, so she sat on her bed and ate. It had been taken away from her because she had been calculating how long it took her to get up from it, get behind it, pick it up, and swing it. This confirmed her suspicion that there were cameras in the room because the chair was quickly removed.

After breakfast she would look at the tiles on the floor and place the elements on the periodic table. She had to strain her mind to remember the correct atomic numbers for some, but it gave her something to do. After she mapped the table, she moved on to the television. She would watch reruns of _Emergency _ or _Dragnet_ and comment about incorrect search procedures.

After she had eaten lunch, she would be taken to another room to whatever medical task they needed to perform. Today she was sure that she was being weighed and measured because everything happened in rotations of sevens. This is how she was able to figure out when a week had passed. So far, it had been nearly eight. She didn't know which day was a Monday, but she figured that at least now she had a way to keep track of her days.

As always, she was greeted by two men. The woman never came to escort because last time Sara had nearly gotten away after punching her in the stomach. She made it a staircase before she was caught from behind and taken back to her room. She felt like the unstable patient at a mental hospital.

The two men would snap cuffs on her wrists before unfastening her ankle bracelet. One of them always pointed her finger at her and Sara always responded with a gesture of her own. They covered her mouth with tape because she was prone to yelling out to the other women that she new were trapped as well.

"My name is Sara and the ass-hats call me Six!" she had screamed loudly.

The other women never responded, but Sara knew that if they got out then Grissom would know she was alright. Maybe he could decode their number system. It took a few days for them to learn that she wouldn't stop screaming in the hallway, so now every time she left her room she cuffed and muted.

~8~

Two women had been found: Jessica Holland and Lakesha Sampson. They had both been found outside the entrance to the hospital. Both of them were without their children and both of them had been one of the missing pregnant women. It took a few days for the women to calm down, as much as they could be calmed, so that Catherine could speak to them.

Both women were found post-delivery. Jessica had given birth vaginally, but Lakesha's had been a C-section. Both of them had been expecting little girls.

"Do you remember where you were?" Catherine had asked them.

Lakesha nodded. "In a white room," she said, annoyed that she was being bothered. "We were being fattened and maintained like breeding cows. Our little babies were taken from us. I didn't even get to hold her!"

Catherine wrote all of this down. "How many women are there?" she asked.

The other woman, Jessica, shrugged and spoke shortly. "We didn't even know about each other until now," she said. "They keep us quiet. We have rules."

Catherine felt disgusted. "Rules?" she asked.

Both women nodded. "No fighting with them. No talking to them. No questions," they said.

Lakesha turned over onto her side, away from Catherine, and cried. It was obvious that she was done talking and Catherine did not force her to.

"There was one woman I heard shout when I was there," Jessica said. "She said 'My name is Sara and these ass-hats call me Six'."

Catherine looked at her with shock. "Sara?" she asked.

Jessica nodded. "Yep," she said.

Catherine was a little confused. "Six?" she asked.

Jessica was clearly frustrated. She had been through a lot, but the questions needed to be answered. There were infants that needed to be found and still two more missing women.

"We had numbers, I was Two," Jessica said.

"And I was Three," Lakesha muttered.

~8~

"Hey, Griss!" Brass called as he pounded on Grissom's front door. "Griss-OM!"

Catherine shielded her eyes and tried to look through the window. "He's in there," she pointed. "I see him on the couch."

Brass pounded on the door again. "Hey, man you gotta open up!" he called. "Sara wouldn't want you like this!"

That prompted a response and they heard something crash to the floor. A few moments later the door opened and they were greeted by a Grissom that they have never seen before. His beard was full and he had long, dark circles under his eyes.

Catherine lowered her head. "Gil, you stink," she said. "What time did you start drinking today?"

Brass pushed the door open and Grissom's hand fell away. "Jesus, Gil," Brass said as he looked around. "What did you do to the place?"

Grissom shrugged. "Nothing," he grumbled.

Catherine gapped at the mess she saw. Beer bottles line the table and were turned over on the floor, food containers were open everywhere, and clothes were piled in heaps on the staircase. The air in the room was hot and muggy, nothing like the cool November air outside.

"I can see," she said. "Griss we have some news."

Grissom plopped back onto the couch. His gait was unsteady and he when landed a beer bottle rolled out from under the couch.

"What?" he asked.

"Two more women were found," she said.

Grissom sat up straight and turned to face her."Sara?" he asked, his tone desperate.

Catherine bit her lip. "Not Sara, but they heard her," she said.

Grissom stood up, wobbled a little, but regained his balance. "What?" he asked hurriedly. "What did they hear? Is she alright?"

Brass stood up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sit down, buddy," he said.

Grissom landed back on the couch and Catherine continued. "They said she yelled out her name," she said. "and that she is… notorious for fighting back. The two women told a story of hearing her try to escape."

Grissom welcomed this news, however small it was. He laid his head back and thought about what Catherine had told him: Sara was alive and she was surviving. She was fighting harder than he was and he knew he needed to pull himself together.

"She's coming home, Gil," Brass said. "These other women were found. So there is hope. And there is hope for the baby too. We just need you to pull yourself together."


	10. Chapter 10

They never answered any of her questions, but that didn't mean Sara didn't ask. Whenever someone entered her room to take her tray, she would stand up boldly and stand in front of the door.

"What day is it?" she asked.

Her captor tried to move her, but she wouldn't budge. He grumbled something and grasped her around the waist.

"Not today, Six," he said as he moved her. "Just shut-up and get out of the way."

"No," she said firmly. "What time is it? Where am I?"

She was lifted off her feet and sat on the bed. She didn't plan to quit being a thorn in their side.

~8~

The next day, they took her into the exercise room. She had been watching her surroundings for a long time and, she knew each move her captors made and how long it took them to complete their tasks.

She stepped on the treadmill, started it up, and watched as they filled out their forms. One of her captors came up to her, put a stethoscope to her chest, and listened to her heartbeat. The other man would put a thermometer under her tongue. When it beeped, he read the screen and wrote something down. She knew that was her moment.

She shut off the treadmill and stood still with her arms crossed. "I'm finished," she said.

The man holding the thermometer set it down on the small table beside the workout machine- as she knew he would.

"Six, we're not in the mood," he said.

Sara stepped off the machine and grabbed a stack of papers that were sitting on a desk beside her. She hurled them across the room, mimicking a child throwing a tantrum. One of them men reached out for her, but she dodged him and made a faux-dash for the door.

"Grab her!" one of the men shouted.

She was gripped firmly from behind and pulled backward. She knew what was next- she had had it done to her several times. Their procedure was to lay her down on her on her back and cuff her hands and feet. This time, on her way to the floor, she swiped the thermometer that was lying, unguarded, and slipped it into her bra.

"We warned you not to start today," she heard as she was cuffed.

~8~

Sara was carried back to her cell - she was used to it. They laid her on her bed, mumbled something about having her television privileges revoked, and slammed the door as they left. She was still cuffed, but they usually left her like that until mealtime. When she was sure that everyone was out of range, she curled her body, mocking a sleeping position, and brought out the thermometer.

She was careful to not make sudden movements because she wasn't too sure where the cameras were or how many were on her. She wasn't too sure about sound either, so she was careful to act as natural as possible. This wasn't her first attempt at stealing something. So far, she had smuggled a bar of soap, a pen, a plastic spoon, and now the thermometer. She wasn't too sure what she would do with any of it, but now she could attempt to form a type of plan.

~8~

Grissom walked in through the doors of the lab and everyone paused what they were doing to look at him. They didn't think they would see him back so soon- if ever. He had forced himself to clean up his appearance, but no shower or shave could wash the pain from his face. He felt beaten-down, but he needed to pull his act together.

"Is Catherine in?" he asked Judy as he passed.

"Yes, Mr. Grissom," she said as he walked by.

He walked toward his office and saw Catherine, seated behind mounds of files. She looked up when she saw him and he closed the door. He wanted to go home, open a bottle of beer, and let time pass. He knew he couldn't do that and that feeling sorry for himself wouldn't bring his family back to him.

"Tell me everything," Grissom said in a pleading voice. "anything."

Catherine sighed and looked at him regretfully. She wanted to tell him something but they had nothing. Nick's idea didn't pan out like she had hoped it would and the two found mothers couldn't say much.

"I'm hitting a brick wall," she said to him. "Whoever has done this, has bone it before."

~8~

Later in the evening, after her cuffs had been removed and she was secured back to the chain that was secured to her floor, she moved her pillow, which housed her secret stash, onto the floor and pretended to rest. She curled herself into a ball and began to talk to her belly.

"Emmy, mama loves you," she said as she carefully reached for the pen.

She continued to talk randomly to her belly. She talked about the color of the nursery and the lady-bug themed decorations. All the while as she spoke, she picked at the chain with the pen. There was nothing she could do with it, so she picked up the thermometer.

"You know, you're daddy is a little … odd. He has all of these specimens in jars, but I am so in love with that side of him," she said as she poked the thermometer into the keyhole at her ankle.

She twisted it around and bit her lip when her instrument bent from the pressure. Of course it wouldn't work, it was made of plastic. She wanted to toss it aside, but she slipped it back into the pillow case. She looked at the soap and the spoon and sighed. What could soap do?

~8~

The only thing Grissom could do was return home. but it was so dark and unwelcoming there. The house was filthy, and if Sara was to return and see it in such a state, she wouldn't be impressed. He began to tidy the living room and was shocked at the amount of bottles that he had collected. He needed to stop this - Emily didn't need to have a drunk as a father. But what if he didn't get a chance to be her father. What if-

"Stop!" he whispered to himself, shaking his head.

He pulled the trashcan into the room and began to dump empty food containers into it. He gathered all of the clothes, started the washer, and dumped an armful in. He needed to keep the faith, as Sara had always told him. His wife was spunky and high-spirited. She was strong and she needed him to be ready for her to return.

He moved to the kitchen and opened the dishwasher. It was still empty from the last time Sara had unloaded it, so he filled it and started it up. Next, he moved to the nursery. When his hand was on the door he paused. Having Sara back was something that he could hope for, but what about Emily? Would he see her?

He pushed open the door before he could think any more and was greeted by the happily painted walls, the dark-brown baseboards, and the lady-bug stickers that had been carefully applied. He felt a lump rise in his throat as he remembered how much he had been looking forward to bringing the baby home and laying it down in a bassinet. Everything had been carefully chosen for the little girl.

There was a Little Golden Book collection on a bookcase that was standing against a far wall. There was a whicker rocking chair, that had a matching ottoman, in front of a window. There was even an empty toy chest that had a stuffed giraffe sitting on it. It was indeed a dream-nursery, but would it be used?

~8~

"Can you chain me up by my hands for a little while?" Sara asked. "My ankle hurts. It's getting raw."

The masked man, Sara had come to call 'Tall', ignored her. Instead he gathered up her garbage and proceeded to walk away.

"I get it," she pleaded with him. "You broke me down, you win. My leg just hurts. I could get an open wound and I could be at risk for blood poisoning."

This made him stop and he looked at her. "Show me your ankle!" he demanded.

Sara lifted her pants leg and, sure enough, there were marks from where the bracelet was chaffing her. The man sighed annoyingly and Sara prayed he wasn't smart enough to simply move the cuff to the other ankle. She had broken the spoon the previous night and had used it to make her skin raw.

"Whatever," he said as he bent to unchain her ankle and snapping it onto her wrist. "I'll be back to look at the ankle."

He shut the door and that was when Sara acted. She rose, as naturally as she could, over to the toilet and sat down on it. She had hidden the soap in her pants and her belly was big enough that when slipped it out, she was able to hide it well enough.

Maneuvering her body was difficult, but she was able to twist herself so that she could dip her chained hand between her legs. This was the most far-fetched thing she had ever done. She didn't know if it would work — she had seen it on a movie once.

She brought her wet hand up and soaped it. She wanted a thick lather, so she dipped her hand back into the bowl and brought it up again for another soaping. She held her breath because she knew that any moment now they would walk in. At any moment that would see her and everything would change. All of her hope would be lost.

Finally, after a long time, she stopped lathering and looked at the bracelet around her wrist. Now was the moment of truth- do or die. She licked her lips, which had been chapped for a few days, and put her fingers on the cuff. She slid it up her wrist, hoping it wouldn't give much resistance.

It did, but she braced herself and pulled harder. She didn't care if chunks of skin came off with it - she wanted it off. She felt it slip upwards a fraction and she braced herself for the pain. She needed to be listening for the sound of her captors approaching, but all she could hear was the sound of her blood pounding.

It slipped upwards again and she hissed when she felt pain in the pad under her thumb. She pulled harder, determined to get the cuff off. But what would she do after that, they would still be back. She had very few weapons to use in defense and one of these was a broken plastic spoon. She could make a shank out of it, but she hadn't enough strength to shiv a man with a plastic spoon.

"Come on, fucker," she grunted and pulled at the cuff with all of her might.

The bracelet was sliding, but too slowly for her. She wanted it to go faster, but at least it was moving. She gave one last burst of energy, and suddenly the entire bracelet slid off. She gasped and looked down at her hand, trying to act as natural as she could. It was bloody and there was no way she could hide it.

Any moment now they would be back for her.


	11. Chapter 11

Sara wrapped the loose chain around her wrist gently, trying to pretend as if it was still secured to her. She tried to hide her injured hand as best she could and took a mental inventory of what she had to defend herself with. If she broke the thermometer the rest of the way, she could use it to protect herself. She closed her eyes and said a prayer that luck was on her side.

She sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her wounded hand hidden by her belly as best she could. She brought her knees up to her chin and waited - that was all she could do. Her heart began to pound as she strained her ears for the familiar sounds of her captors footsteps. Inside of her, Emily squirmed.

"Trying to get comfortable?" Sara asked.

In response, Emily pushed a foot against her mother's ribs and Sara shifted uncomfortably. She patted her belly and closed her eyes. She tried to picture her little daughter, nestled and secure.

"It's gonna be a big day," she said.

~8~

Her captors mustn't have been too serious about her television privileges being taken away. The set turned on and she found herself blankly lost in an episode of _The Twilight Zone. _ Soon, Emily began to tumble around and Sara knew that meal time was approaching. Her pulse began to quicken as she turned to wait on the door to open. Under her leg, she had slipped the rest of her inventory. Of all her choices, she had decided to settled on the ink pen.

The door opened and Sara saw one of her captors, the woman, walk in. She was carrying a box of bandages and antiseptic. Sara pulled her foot up in anticipation of having the raw skin inspected.

"Cooperative today, are we?" The Woman said to her as she dapped ointment onto a napkin.

She hated the way these people condescended to her- she was treated like a dog. Mentally, she thanked her stars that she had the woman to contend with. She doubted that she could take any of the men. She would have been overpowered and her fight would have ended before it had begun.

"I guess," Sara replied cooly.

The Woman ignored her and began to work on applying a bandage. Sara saw her window, but she was frozen. She had to act, but her limbs went rigid. What if she failed and they did something worse to her? What if she made them furious and they decided to induce labor on her? They would take Emily and there would be nothing she could do.

'_Don't, it's in your head,' _she told herself. _'You have to take this chance.'_

She slowly brought her free hand up to her neck and pretended to scratch. The Woman didn't look at her, so she slowly withdrew the pen from its spot. She raised it to her chest, hiding it from sight. She squinted her eyes closed and said another prayer; her freedom was resting on this moment.

"What is that?" the woman asked, grabbing at her hand suddenly.

Her plan, as bad as it may have been, flew out the window and she saw her opportunity closing. She pulled her hand away, thus revealing that her other arm was not secured.

"Six!" the woman shouted.

Sara felt adrenaline pulse through her and she kicked the woman away from her. The pen was knocked from her hand, and she grabbed the next thing she could think of: the chain. She had never killed someone, but now she knew that she had the ability to. She was a mother who was fighting for the safety of her child, and that was a strength that every woman had.

She hit her captor with the chain, whipping it out with all the might she could muster. She didn't wait to see if she had done damage- the woman had shouted for help. She jumped to her feet quickly, but she felt the woman's fingers wrap around her ankle and she felt herself fall. She put her arms out in front of her to brace herself and protect Emily. She hit the floor with a jarring smack, but her belly had been protected. The door was only centimeters away from her and so was her freedom.

"Six is out!" the woman shouted.

Sara kicked her leg back and felt it connect with the woman's jaw. She heard a crunch, a cry of pain, and she felt the woman's hand begin to pull her back. When she had first come to this dungeon, the woman had to help force-feed her and she had been unusually strong at the time. Now, Sara's fury was stronger and she was going to fight until she could not fight any longer. She turned to her captor, took the chain, and looped it around her neck. She didn't want to kill her, but she would if it meant escape.

"Six… stop," the woman choked.

Why should she stop? What would she get in return? She knew what she would happen if she stopped- her baby would be taken away. She would be treated like a dog and they would never let her leave; she had gone too far for that.

She didn't stop until the woman went slack, and Sara took a small moment to check her pulse. Satisfied that she was alive, she went to the door and threw it open.

~8~

The hallway was empty, but she had seen it many times. She raced down the corridor, in the direction that was opposite the way she was familiar with. Last time she had gotten loose, she had seen a staircase. She needed to reach it, but truthfully she didn't know where it led. But what other choice did she have? Her dungeon had no windows.

"Six!" she heard behind her.

She was tunnel-sighted on reaching the staircase and finally she did. It was painted white, like everything else around her. She gripped the banister and began her climb, not knowing what was behind the door or if it would open. With each step she took, it felt as if the door was farther away. She climbed faster and faster - until she felt a hand grip her arm.

"Nice, try," one of male captors said to her.

'_No,'_ she thought to herself. '_This is not the end for me… for Emily.'_

The plastic spoon, the one she had thought was so useless, had been tucked into the waistband of her pants. She reached for it quickly, grasped it, and raised her arm. It all happened in slow motion for her. She brought her arm down at an angle and heard a loud squish- like someone stepping on a meatball.

Her captor screamed and clutched at his face. She wasn't sure where she had struck him, but she didn't stop to find out. She put her hand on the knob, turned, and found that the door was open.

~8~

She stepped through the door quickly and closed it firmly behind her. The was a bolt on the outside of it, and she slid it home. She looked around for something to barricade it with and saw an old-fashioned china cabinet standing against a wall. She did a double-take and let her eyes wander the new room she was in - she was in a dining room.

"I was in someone's basement," she muttered to herself.

The door she had just closed shook as someone, one of her male captors, threw his body against it. She hurried away from the door and into a kitchen. Everything looked normal and clean - someone lived here.

She scanned the walls and countertops for a phone and found one. She hurried to it and expected it to be dead but it wasn't. She heard a clear dial-tone and cried with relief as she dialed the only person she could think of.

Grissom.

~8~

Grissom sat upright when he heard his phone chirp. He looked at the readout, noticed it was an unknown caller, and debated answering. He wasn't accustomed to answering odd numbers, but he felt a pull. He tapped the green phone on his screen.

"Grissom," he said gruffly.

"Gil," he heard a whisper. "It's me. It's Sara."

The female caller on the other end began to cry and Grissom felt himself grow angry. If somebody was calling as a joke it wasn't funny. Pretending to be his wife was sick.

"Who the fuck is this?" he said. "This isn't funny."

The voice on the other end began to cry harder. "It's me, help me! Come get me. I want go home!'

He felt himself soften. "Sara?" he asked. "Is this you!? Where are you!? Are you safe!? Is Emily alright!?"

"Yes, I still have her," she replied with a sob. "Come and get me, I need you to come and get me!"

"Stay on the phone, honey. I'll find you," he said as he looked at the screen. "Are you a cell-phone?"

"No, I've been in the basement of some fucking house," Sara sobbed.

He opened a three-way call and called Brass. It was his hope that he could somehow trace the call.

"Can you see a window?" he asked, reaching for his keys as quickly as he could. "I'll find you. I'll come take you home."

~8~

Sara looked around the kitchen and saw a window over the sink. She walked over to it and stood on her tip-toes. She couldn't see anything at all but a wide field- she was in the middle of nowhere.

"No, there is nothing. I don't know where I am," she cried into the phone. "I love you! I'm so sorry I did this to us."

Over the phone she heard a car door slam and the Brass' voice came over the line. She knew what her brilliant husband had done- he had put her on a three-way call.

"Hey, buddy," Brass said.

"Jim, I have Sara on the line! She found a phone and she is on three-way. Trace the call!" Grissom said.

Brass snapped into action. "Sara!? Are you alright!?" he asked.

She looked back to the door and she saw that it wouldn't hold any longer, she needed to try and barricade it. The men had been throwing themselves at it and soon it would fail. She put the phone down and went over to the china cabinet. She couldn't push it, so she shoved it over on its side. It crashed to the floor and the men on the other side of the door began hammering.

"Gil," Sara said to both the men. "They're coming! I have to go... I love you. I love you so much."

"Sara wait, stay on the line!" Brass said.

Sara set the phone down without disconnecting it. She tore out of the kitchen just as one of the men broke through the door. A hand flashed out at her as she ran past, but she stepped aside as quickly as she could. She ran towards the front of the house. She saw a front door and she raced towards it- that was when a figure stepped in front of her. She ran into him, their bodies colliding forcefully.

~8~

"Sara?!" Grissom said loudly into the phone.

He looked at the screen and saw that the call was still connected. He put it back to his ear and listened to the noise in the background. It sounded like someone was breaking down a door.

"Gil, is she still there?" Brass said.

"The call is still going," Grissom replied.

As he talked, he navigated through traffic. He pulled in front of cars, not caring who he offended. He had a chance, a small opportunity, to get Sara and Emily back. He was going to risk everything to bring her home.

He heard a scream on Sara's end of the phone. "Jim!" he said. "Hurry up!"

"We got it," Brass said. "Ok we have the location and its close!"

~8~

The man she collided with was strong and Sara knew that she had never fought with him before. He quickly pinned her arms to her sides and put her in a basket-like hold. Sara fought with all of her might. She screamed until her throat was raw.

"Six secure," he said in militaristic way.

She felt a prick in her arm before she saw a syringe and she she threw her head back, hoping to connect with a nose. The man stood with her and walked with her into one of the bedrooms behind him. He opened the door and Sara saw a room that was set up like a doctor's office.

"Shh," this new man said to her. "Just relax. It'll be alright."

Sara squirmed. "No, please," she cried. "I want my baby girl. I want… my … my husband."

"Just relax," he said as he laid her back on a bed.

Sara felt herself slipping from reality. She felt darkness closing around her and she reached for her captor. She didn't know why she was reaching for him, but she did.

"Please, help me," she said. "She's my baby. Her name is Emily. She's my baby."

The man didn't respond. He put a cuff around her forearm, pumped the pump, and looked at the readout. He nodded and then looked into each one of her eyes. Then he picked up her hand and inspected the wound.

"You almost made it," he chuckled. "I think you're my favorite one. You have spirit."

Sara opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The man took her hand in his lap and began to mend it. There was something very sensitive about the way he was taking care of her- yet she was still sickened.

"Did she call for help?" he said when someone else entered the room.

"No, there was no one on the phone," one of the men she was familiar with said. "We must have gotten to her before she made the call. We need to take the baby now, she's trouble."

"I don't like to do that," the newer man said. "Not unless I need to. It's better if they come on their own."

"She almost killed…"

That was all she heard, but before she fell into a deep sleep she remember the sound of Grissom's voice. He sounded distraught and panicked. She couldn't help but feel guilty that was responsible for that. Her last waking thought was if she would wake up with Emily, or without her.


	12. Chapter 12

"Okay, listen up," Brass barked in his no-nonsense tone.

The meeting room of LVPD was filled with police officers, detectives, SWAT team members, and anyone else the captain could acquire. After Sara had begun to scream, he had to demand that Grissom sever the connection. He knew that his friend wouldn't do it on his own, but it was necessary. They needed her captors to be oblivious to the fact that she had called for help.

"I want this to go as smoothly as Jesus walking on water," he barked. "No sirens, no sound. Approach on foot and don't fuck it up."

As if the room understood that he was dismissing them, everyone stood and began to file out. In the back sat Grissom- he was determined to be included in the rescue despite Ecklie's doubts. Hearing his wife scream in fear had frozen him in place. He couldn't move a muscle and his heart raced. Brass told him to disconnect the call and it took all his strength to do it. Now, he found himself hoping that she wasn't hurt and pleading to the heavens that she was alright.

"I'm not staying here," Grissom said as Brass approached. "She's my wife."

"Gil, I can't let you come," Brass said, putting a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "But let's say I said it- for the record."

Grissom smiled - as best he could - at his old friend. "I need to be there," he said.

"I know you do," Brass answered him. "We're going to get her."

~8~

Sara struggled to open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was of a man - whom she hadn't seen before - pricking her with a needle; after that everything was black. She tried to pull herself into a sitting position, but wave of black dots swept over her and threatened to take her under.

"No," the voice of the new man said. "you're blood pressure is too high. You need to lie back down."

The man put a hand on her chest and gently coaxed her back down. The sensitivity of his movements terrified her and she resisted his efforts.

"Why… why do …. why do you think?" she countered as best she could. "Who are… you?'

"Call me The Doctor," he said to her.

Sara turned her face away from him and saw one of the white, familiar walls of her cell. She couldn't believe that she was back- especially after she had tried so hard to escape. Her being back in her dungeon told her one thing : Grissom and Brass hadn't traced the call.

She slammed her eyes closed and felt hot tears squeeze their way out from under her eyelids. She had heard her husband's voice and had felt the desperation behind the words that he spoke to her. She wanted to be in his arms. Slowly she brought her hand to her belly and felt that Emily was still.

"Emmy!" Sara gasped as she bolted upright.

The Doctor's hands, again, guided her back down to the mattress. There was an eerie gentleness about his touch. It was as if he were trying to mimic the way Grissom would touch her. But there was only one man whose hands could soothe her, and The Doctor was not the one.

"She's alright," he insisted. "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Sara felt repulsed. "She isn't yours to protect!"

The Doctor did not agree. "You may feel that because I do not share DNA with her, that I don't love her. But I can assure you that it is the contrary," he said in such away that made him sound aristocratic.

Sara shook her head and moved her two fingers to a spot that was near her navel. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief as she felt her daughter's fast-paced heartbeat. The Doctor placed his hand on Sara's.

"And I believe I also love you, Sara," he said to her.

Sara was taken aback. "How…. how could you love me?" she said. "I can never love you. I love my husband - Gil."

Her drowsiness caused her to slur her words, but she said them with as much authority as she could. She turned her face away from and, with her free hand, tried to brush sweat out of her eyes.

"I once had five daughters and a wife," he said to her. "I found them again You … your will is just so strong and admirable."

He put a finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. She wanted to resist, but she felt herself slipping farther and farther into the void. All she could do was shake her head as his fingertips caressed her jawline.

"I love you, Sara," he said.

Having her speak her name jarred her, and she wished that he hadn't done it. Though being called by a number was dehumanizing, she would rather this man - The Doctor - not form any kind of connection with her.

"Sleep now," he said into her ear. "I'll watch you."

She let go and fell into a dreamless sleep.

~8~

Sara had no way of knowing that her rescue convoy was only yards away from her. Officers and detectives stepped out of their cars and spread out so that they could safely surround the house. The location, though near vegas, was secluded. It sat alone in a field and Grissom prayed this his wife was unharmed. If she wasn't, then he wouldn't hesitate to kill those responsible.

As the team crept toward the house - Grissom trailing behind Brass- everyone held their breath. Sara was a well-known face among the officers and was loved by many. No one on the mission had taken her kidnapping lightly.

"Is everyone in position?" Brass whispered into his radio.

He gave a nod and the men, who had been positioned on the porch, heaved a battering ram under the knob of the door. The door was thrust open immediately , and officers and SWAT team members flooded the house.

~8~

Sara was unconscious and didn't hear the sound of the upstairs living-room door being broken down. If she had been awake, there was a slim chance she would have been able to hear it. The Doctor did hear it and he quickly left Sara's cell to see what the commotion was.

One of his coworkers, the woman, rushed over to him. "It's the police!" she shouted.

He felt like he was working with a bunch of amateurs. None of this would have happened if they had taken care of Sara the way he had instructed them to. He should have taken care of her himself - she was too high-spirited for his colleagues.

"Get the infants," he instructed. "take the tunnel-"

It was too late. The door to the basement had been burst open and officers began to flood down the stairs. The Doctor, who was never a man who would give up, turned to retreat. He left his colleagues behind and disappeared from sight.

"On the ground!" voices boomed.

~8~

Brass and Grissom stepped into the house and looked around. Sara had been right - she had been in somebody's basement this entire time. The upstairs portion of the house wasn't what Grissom wanted, so he bypassed it and ran towards the basement.

"All clear!" he heard as he descended the staircase. "She's here!"

Grissom ran towards the voice of the man who was speaking, rounded a corner, and saw Sara. She was lying, chained, on a mattress. He hurried over to her, kneeled down, and cupped her face.

"Baby!" he said, trying to wake her. "Honey - Sara - it's me! I'm here! I'm here to take you home now."

Sara didn't respond and Grissom began to panic. A wave of anguish washed over him. "Paramedics!" he yelled. "Someone get this off of her!"

Someone photographed the chain still attached to Sara's ankle, then it was cut away in an instant. Grissom sat on the bed next to her and put her head in his lap. He smoothed her hair back and fought back tears; he had dreamed of this moment for so long.

The paramedics stepped into the room and set the gear down next to Sara. One of the men lifted her eyelids and took her pulse.

"She's stable," he said. "but we need to get her into the ambulance.

~8~

A wave of pain brought Sara from her sleep and she looked around the familiar walls of her cell. The Doctor was gone , but she felt that someone was there. She heard voices distantly, but couldn't match them with faces. The pain in her lower back grew worse and, before she knew what was happening, she gripped her abdomen as a contraction tore through her.

"Wait, Emmy," she said as she put her hand on her belly. "Not here!"

The door to her room opened, as if they had been waiting on her to go into labor, and her captors walked in. There were five of them, four were dressed in black. The Doctor was masked, yet distinguishable

"It's time, Six!" they said as the held her legs down.

"No… no no no no," she said as she tried to pull away.

Labor progressed fast- faster than she had been told it would. Soon she was pushing Emily into the world. When she heard her daughter's first cry, she felt a wave of love wash over her.

"Let me see her!" she cried out.

She saw a little bundle being passed to The Doctor. A tiny little fist emerged from the bundle, but Sara couldn't make a move towards it; she was chained down. She didn't remember the chains being applied to her - they came from nowhere.

"Please, let me see her!" she begged, trying to reach out her arms.

The Doctor did not acknowledge her; he walked out of the room. Emily's small cries echoed throughout the dungeon.

~8~

Sara upright suddenly and Grissom gripped her shoulders. He had been sitting by her bed for hours, waiting on her to wake up. She struggled against him and didn't seem to realize where she was. Her eyes were open, but they were unfocused.

"Honey, it's a dream!" he said to her. "Listen, it's me! It's Gil! Can you hear me?"

Sara struggled against him for a few more moments, but then gave up and Grissom laid her back gently. She began to sob and brought a hand up to her eyes. Grissom pulled her hand away carefully and waited until she focused on him.

"Gil?" she said drowsily.

Grissom brushed her hair over her ear. "It's me," he said. "Honey… I love you so much. Thank God…"

Sara looked away from him. "No… no no no," she said. "I can't take anymore dreams… this isn't fair!"

"I'm really here," he said to her. "We … we traced the call. You're safe," he took her hand and brought it to her belly. "Emmy is safe. We got them."

She looked back at him, but seemed to be studying him more intently. It looked as if she were trying to distinguish the dream-husband from the real-husband. She brought her hand up to his cheek and felt the hairs of his beard tickle her hand. When her thumb traced his lips, he kissed it.

"Gil?" she said again, this time believing it was him.

Grissom nodded. "It's me," he said, bending to to capture her lips. "You're safe."

Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. As she sobbed into his neck she felt Emily stir inside of her. She pulled back from her husband, took his hand, and laid it on her belly. Emily twisted and poked her feet out as if she were greeting her father,

"I think she hears you," she laughed as he kissed her again.


	13. Chapter 13

The hospital wanted to keep her for a few days because her blood pressure was high. Grissom stayed by her side as she drifted in and out of sleep. Once she had woken up to find him gone, and she tried to get out of bed to find him. At that moment he rounded the corner and saw her trying to get out of bed.

"Honey, lay down," he said to her gently as he helped her back into bed.

"I was just coming to find you," she said as she sank back into the pillow.

"I went to get you some dinner," he said as he pulled her tray up to her. "Your favorite."

He set a sandwich and a container of soup in front of her. Sara pulled the lid off and breathed in the smell of the rich, creamy broccoli and cheese soup. Her toes curled in anticipation of eating it and her husband handed her a spoon.

"You are my hero," she said as she spooned the soup into her mouth.

"No I'm not," he said as he watched her eat. "If I were then this wouldn't have happened to you."

Sara swallowed a mouthful of soup. "It was my fault," she said sadly. "I just… let him trick me."

They were both silent for a moment, but they both knew that the other was blaming themselves. Sara opened her sandwich, lifted the bread, and saw that Grissom had brought her exactly what she wanted.

"We can't sit here and hate ourselves," she said to him. "We won. We have Emily."

"You're right," he said, taking her hand in his. "we'll be parents very soon."

"How do I look?" Sara asked jokingly. "Fat?"

Grissom chuckled. "I wouldn't say that," he said. "you look… like a healthy expectant mother. And you have cute little cheeks."

Sara sat up higher in her bed. "How did the interview go?" she asked.

Grissom paused, "I… don't know," he answered.

Sara laughed heartily, but she felt exhaustion wash over her again. Now that she was safe, and she could finally rest, she was tired. Her body ached and she felt as if she had run a marathon. Grissom laughed with her and her took her empty soup container and tossed it into the trash.

"Gil, do you think they'll give an ultrasound?" she asked.

"The baby is fine," he insisted. "they gave you one when you were admitted."

Sara shook her head. "I want to _see_ her," she said. "I want to _hear_ her."

~8~

"So, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves," the therapist, a woman name Dr. Ryan, said.

The hospital had recommended that Sara and the other survivors participate in therapy sessions. Sara didn't want to attend them; she thought she was strong enough to battle the trauma herself. But there was also been a group made-up of the husbands, and since Grissom was going to those she felt that she may as well go too.

"Who'll start?" Dr. Ryan asked.

Sara looked around the room. All of the other mothers had been reunited with their daughters and each woman had a little bundle. Sara was the only one who was still pregnant.

She raised her hand. "I'll start," she said. "My name is Sara Grissom and this is Emily. They… um… they called me 'Six'."

The other mothers smiled at her and gave her a nod. She continued. "I am not too sure how I feel right now. I try to pretend like everything's alright, but it isn't. I can't sleep at night. I can't stand the color white. And I want to be left alone. Which isn't fair to my husband because he's been missing me."

"Can you give me an example?" Dr. Ryan asked.

Sara nodded. "Yesterday I came home from the hospital and Gil, my husband, he kept asking me if I wanted anything or if I needed anything. I guess…. my body is still in fight-mode because I snapped at him and told him I just wanted to lay down."

The therapist nodded and wrote on her clipboard. "Don't forget that you're dealing with PTSD and you're still pregnant. You're going to have a wide range of emotions that you're going to have to deal with. Reach out to your husbands. They want to help you."

Sara looked down at her feet. "I just… keep thinking it'll all start again. Any moment someone will come to my door and I'll be right back in the white room."

"If it hadn't been for you we wouldn't have our babies," one mother, Lakesha, said. "Don't be hard on yourself. You are brave."

~8~

"So, your wives are all in the other room. Let's talk about how we can help them get through this. They're going to have struggles for a long time, and they'll also have the stressors of being new mothers. Does anyone want to start us off?" The therapist, a man named Dr. Simmons, asked.

Grissom knew Sara would never voluntarily seek therapy; she had to be coaxed. If he agreed to go to a session, she would follow suite, because following his example was something she did before they started dating.

"I'll start," Grissom volunteered. "My name is Gil Grissom and my wife is the only one still pregnant. We're due in a few weeks. I'm not too sure what… I need to say."

"Just say tell us what you want to know," Dr. Simmons said. "Are you worried about your wife?"

"Yes," Grissom said. "I can't stop worrying about her. I keep asking her if I can do anything and I'm afraid I'm irritating her. I just don't know what else I can do for her… I feel helpless."

Dr. Simmons nodded. "Women are emotional," he said. "And you mentioned she is pregnant, that is just adding more fuel to her fire. She's going to be going through a lot. If she reaches out to you, then let her talk to you. But right now your wives are going to be going through a lot of change."

~8~

After the sessions were over, Grissom waited for his wife by a table that held a few refreshments. He saw Sara talking to the other mothers and he was glad that she was socializing a little. She turned to smile at him, waved to the other mothers, and walked over to him. When she reached him, she pulled him into a hug and he returned it warmly.

"Did it go OK?" he asked.

Sara nodded. "I think it did," she said. "Can we go home now?"

Grissom smiled at her as she leaned into him. "Yeah," he said. "We're going home now."

~8~

It didn't take her long to get back into her nesting habit. Sara wanted the nursery moved from the downstairs bedroom into an upstairs one. Grissom didn't need her to tell him why because he, too, didn't feel comfortable with the nursery that far away.

They carefully painted the walls and stained the baseboards to match the previous nursery. The stickers couldn't be saved, but Sara had ordered more and they were in the mail. Grissom hired Greg and Nick to help move all of the baby furniture upstairs and all of their office furniture downstairs.

The two younger men were happy to see that Sara was safe. The hugged her warmly, made remarks that the baby was growing, and went to work. While they moved everything, Sara occupied herself by reorganizing the book cases. Inside of her, Emily squirmed and Sara patted her belly.

"You're running out of room," she said to her stomach as she lined the Little Golden Books on the book shelf.

~8~

On a Wednesday night, Sara went into labor. She was lying in bed, flipping through the channels on the television, when she felt pain begin in her lower back. She sighed, turned to her side, and turned off the television. Emily had not been very active during the past week, but she still felt the tiny heartbeat. She knew that the big day was approaching, but she was afraid; she still hadn't caught her breath after being kidnapped. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but soon another wave flowed from her lower-back to the backs of her legs.

"Gil!" she called.

Grissom had been downstairs in his office, arranging his jars for organisms. When he heard her call, he put his work aside and went into the kitchen for her container of ice cream- he had been expecting her to ask for it.

"Coming, honey," he said as he trudged upstairs.

"Hurry," she said.

When he rounded the corner and entered their room, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed with her hand on her belly. He put the ice cream down and hurried over to her, worried that something was wrong.

"I think it's time to go," she said. "I think she's ready."

~8~

It took a long time for Sara to be wheeled into the delivery room. She hadn't been able to get much sleep; the pain in her lower back was growing more extreme. The doctors gave her an epidural for the pain and Grissom turned the lights out. She laid on her side and he rubbed her back, and she was able to drift off for a few moments.

Finally, her water broke and she was brought out to the delivery room. As she was wheeled down the hall, Grissom disappeared. He reappeared later wearing blue scrubs, a face mask, and a head covering. She wanted laugh at him and tell him he looked ridiculous.

"Everything looks good," a friendly nurse said to her. "Ready?"

Sara froze - she was absolutely _not_ ready. Everything seemed to be happening without her. Grissom took her hand and kissed her head, and the nurses pulled her knees up. They coaxed her to sit up, and Grissom supported her back.

"Ready?" they asked her again.

~8~

Delivering Emily was nothing like she expected it to be. She knew there was pain involved, but she wasn't ready for how much strenuous effort it took to push a human into the world. Her daughter's exact time of birth was four-oh-six, Thursday morning. After Emily had been completely delivered, Sara felt an emptiness inside. But when she heard the small, desperate wail of her baby, she felt an amount of euphoria that she had never felt before.

"Here she is," the nurse smiled as she put a red-faced, screaming Emily in her arms.

Sara accepted the baby. "It's ok," she croaked out. "It's mommy."

Emily continued to cry and Sara kissed her tiny head. She had been waiting for so long and had fought so hard to see her. The nurse bent down to take her, but Sara went rigid and clutched her daughter to her.

"Honey, they're just going to clean her up," Grissom whispered to her. "They'll give her right back."

Sara relaxed and they gently lifted the baby and turned to clean her. Grissom raised his phone and took photos of his daughter's first bath, but turned back to Sara and smiled at her. He cupped her faces in his hands and kissed her.

"Thank you," he said to her. "You did such a good job. She's so beautiful."

Like her husband said, they handed a Emily back to her. Her tiny face was red and she was furious at whoever was in charge of evicting her. Sara held her close to her and admired the tiny arm that she waving around.

"I think she's hungry," the nurse said to her.

After Sara had nursed Emily, she passed her to Grissom and he admired his daughter. She lay back and watch as he swayed gently and spoke to her. For the next few hours, Sara forgot about everything that had happened and she was happy.


	14. Chapter 14

Emily was so beautiful; all Sara could do was hold her and stare at her daughter's precious face. The infant had chubby cheeks, feathery-soft brown hair, and dainty looking eyelashes. Her tiny nose looked like that of a doll ,and she had Sara's oval-shaped face. She felt as if, for the first time, someone had actually stolen her heart.

"Smile, mommy," Grissom teased as he held his phone up to take a photo.

Sara smiled broadly, adjusted Emily so that her face showed, and Grissom snapped the photo. When he was finished, he looked the screen and began to send out a mass text to his coworkers. Sara repositioned herself and winced at the pain she was still feeling. Though it was ever-present, Emily was worth it.

"Gil, look at these little hands," she sighed.

Sara took one of the little hands and gently pulled one of the tiny fingers up. Each finger had its own small fingernail. Grissom marveled at the beauty of it all. Though he had seen babies before, though never in the best circumstances, this one was theirs— his and Sara's.

"She's just perfect," he commented.

Emily opened her eyes a fraction, as if to express her frustration at the noise level in the room, and then slipped them closed again.

~8~

Sara was released the next day. The car ride home was too long for her because Emily was far away in the backseat, safely buckled in her carrier. Every time Grissom stopped for a red light, accelerated, or turned a corner, Sara peeked into the backseat to make sure the tiny infant was secure. Sara was paranoid that Grissom would turn too sharply, and Emily would slip out and onto the floor. But luckily she stayed fastened in her seat until they pulled into the driveway.

"Home, sweet home," Grissom said happily as he opened the back door to unfasten the carrier.

Sara grabbed her overnight back from the floor of the car. "Be careful," she said back to him, her tone serious.

"Honey, she weighs seven pounds," he said. "I'm sure I can handle it."

"It's not that," Sara replied. "What if the seat is defective?"

Grissom held the carrier with both hands. "I'll carry it like this," he said to her with a grin.

He led the way to the front door, but Sara lagged behind just to be sure Grissom didn't drop her before they made it into the house. When they were on the porch, he set the carrier down so he could key into the house. Sara set down her bag and picked the carrier up. She peeked in at Emily, who was fast asleep.

"Careful," Grissom said as he picked up her bag for her.

"She's seven pounds," she joked back. "I'm sure I can handle it."

~8~

"Why don't you shower, babe?" Grissom said as he picked up Emily and laid her against her shoulder. "I got this."

Sara hesitated, but nodded. "Yes," she said. "I… feel disgusting."

"Don't worry about us," he responded. "We're going to be just fine."

He said the second part of his statement in a gushy voice that made Sara raise her eyebrows at him. He gave her a smile and turned to walk the baby around his office. She could just imagine him pointing at a jarred spider and explaining the species to the baby. She gave her family one last loving glance and then left for her shower.

~8~

Reality set in once Sara was alone in the shower. She had just lathered herself up and was wiping her luffa across her abdomen, when she realized that Emily wasn't in there anymore: she was downstairs with Grissom. She let this sink in for a moment and then quickly decided to finish showering. Being separate from Emily felt wrong and unnatural. Though she trusted her husband with her life, he hadn't been locked away like she had. Emily had been her only companion and the only piece of family she had.

~8~

"That was… fast," Grissom said when he saw Sara coming down the stairs.

"I just… wanted to hurry," she said, taking Emily from him.

"Honey, she's fine," he said. "go rest. You just delivered a baby."

"I'm aware," Sara snapped. "I was there."

That was when he began to understand what he was dealing with. He gave Sara a smile and put a hand on her shoulder. Together they walked into the living room.

"Well, let's at least go lay down together," he suggested. "as a family."

Sara agreed. "Yeah," she said. "We can all lay down."

~8~

"So how are we coping at home?" Dr. Simmons asked the husband-group.

Grissom raised his hand. "My daughter was born three days ago but, let me know if I am alone in this, is it natural for Sara to be so paranoid right now?"

"How do you mean?" Dr. Simmons asked, urging him to continue.

"Well, I have gotten to hold my daughter three times since she was born. Sara won't rest and is not sleeping. She's a good mother, and I'm glad she's protective, but is there anything I can do to help her?"

One of the other father's raised their hand. "My wife is the same," he admitted. "She doesn't want to take the baby out. She doesn't want anyone coming over either."

Dr. Simmons put his glasses on. "Yes, I expected them to act this way and there is a way you can help them. Not right away, mind you, but we can set goals after some time. Your ladies need to feel like they have a right to be worried, and let them worry for a few weeks— they've earned it. After a little time, we'll slowly draw them back," he paused and looked at all of the fathers. "They are going through a very difficult time right now, so we need to be as careful as we can."

~8~

Sara sat in the small circle and stared at the other women and wondered if she was alone in feeling so afraid. Each woman had her little baby close to her, their arms wrapped securely around the little bundle. Sara looked down at Emily, who was awake but quiet, and smiled.

"And how about you, Sara?" Dr. Ryan asked. "How do you feel now that Emily has made her appearance."

Sara swallowed and looked up. "I'm glad she wasn't born in that dungeon," she said. "I feel… really fortunate that I was so lucky to have my husband with me when I delivered her."

Sara felt a small sense of shame for having said that, because the other mothers had been forced to give birth with their captors.

"But I feel afraid," she confessed. "I can't stop watching her. I feel like, that if she's not in my arms then something is wrong. I feel out of control and I want to yell at my husband every time he goes to pick her up."

Dr. Ryan looked understanding. "Does he get to spend time with her?" she asked in unaccusing way.

"I feel like I have a right to her," Sara admitted. "I worked so hard to protect her."

Dr. Ryan nodded. "Well, it's very natural to be paranoid right now. You do have a right to feel this way, but try not to shut your husband or family out. Pick one person right now, and let them hold the baby for a hour or two a day. We'll just start off small," she turned to Sara. "but you actually have a few more issues that we'll talk about in private when you're ready."

Sara looked down at her shoes. "The worst part of that entire situation was meeting The Doctor," she admitted.

The other women looked confused and looked at one another. "Who's The Doctor?" they asked.

~8~

"Here," Sara said as she passed Emily to Grissom.

He took the baby and relaxed in his recliner with her nestled in the crook of his arm. Sara pretended to stretch back and relax, but he noticed that she was looking at the clock. He knew what that meant: he was being timed.

"How long do I have?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"You keep looking at the clock," he said, nodding to it. "We're not making cookies, so you must be timing how long I get to hold her."

Sara sighed. "You get two hours, " she admitted. "but I broke up into fourths, so thirty minutes."

Grissom nodded and tried to act like it didn't bother him, but Sara could see the tension creases appear on his forehead. Instead of replying to her he cuddled the baby and kissed her head. Sara looked away, she hated feeling like this. She hated that she was punishing her husband for something she couldn't control. Dr. Ryan told the mothers that they were in danger of developing a severe separation anxiety, and they needed to battle it in steps.

"Gil, I'm so sorry," she said to him. "I don't know what to do."

Sara saw his expression relax. "It's not your fault," he said to her. "Thank you for trusting me today."

Sara laid back on the couch and turned away from him. This had been the first time in a few days that Grissom had held her and part of her felt guilty, the other part of her was still keeping check on his time limit. She let out a yawn, stretched out, and pulled a pillow underneath her head. If she closed her eyes for twenty minutes, then time would be up and she would have Emily back in her arms.

~8~

Grissom heard Sara softly snoring and laid Emily across his shoulder so he could stand. He peeked over Sara's shoulder and saw that she was finally sleeping. As gently as he could he draped a blanket over her and took Emily into the kitchen.

"Let's make dinner," he said as he slipped her into the swing that was sitting on the kitchen table.

Emily cooed, raised her tiny fist up at him, then brought it back down. Sara had put tiny little mittens on her hands, so instead of a fist Grissom saw the little yellow glove. He opened the refrigerator and took out all of the ingredients to make a chief's salad.

~8~

When Emily began to whimper, Sara awoke with a start and sat up quickly. She looked at the recliner Grissom had been sitting in, but he wasn't there.

"Shh," she heard him soothe behind her. "don't wake mommy up."

Sara looked at the clock and noticed that she had been sleeping for an hour. She wondered what kind of person would be so careless, and she threw her blanket off. In the kitchen Grissom was bouncing Emily on his shoulder and talking to her sweetly, but Emily would not be soothed.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked, holding out her hands so she could receive the baby.

Grissom pursed his lips, but he handed a wailing Emily over to her. Sara rocked her in her arms, but Emily cried louder. She went over to Grissom's recliner, sat down , and prepared to nurse the baby.

"That's not fair," Grissom responded. "I can't do that."

"Well, you can give birth next time and then you can," Sara joked.

Emily ate greedily and Grissom came over to kneel beside her. She looked over at him and smiled. She knew what he was thinking, because she was thinking it too.

"Next time?" he asked in a whisper as he watched Emily eat.

"I mean… maybe… if there is a next time," she said.

Grissom shrugged. "Why not?" he asked. "We can have five."

Sara raised her eyebrow. "That… that may not be my cup of tea," she laughed.

~8~

"Can I hold her?" Nick asked as he peered over the little bassinet.

"uhmm…" Sara started, but she felt Grissom's hand cover hers. "Yes."

She lifted Emily out and placed her in Nick's arms. The CSI rocked her back and forth, looking at her lovingly. Sara felt a ball of tension twisting in her stomach, but soon Grissom pulled her close to him.

"Guys," Nick said with a smile. "She's so sweet. Look at that itty-bitty nose and those little ears."

Grissom felt Sara growing uneasy, so he nodded to Nick, who passed the baby back to Sara. She took the infant and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She cuddled the baby and kissed her head.

"Nick, let me show you something," Grissom said as they left Sara with the baby.

"Is Sara okay?" Nick asked when they were out of earshot.

Grissom hesitated. "She's having a lot of anxiety right now. She's being very protective, so I'm trying to keep our visitors to a minimum," he admitted. "But she's going to be okay. She's trying."

"Yeah, look man I get it," Nick said. "She's been going through a tough time and now she's trying to figure out how to be a mom. And you just got her back, this is new for you both."

Grissom nodded. "She seems happy though," he said. "If I let her be then she's happy, but if try to give Emmy a bath or feed her, it's world war three."

Nick opened the door. "Thanks for inviting me over," he said. "Greg was bragging about how he got an invite to come over and meet the new Grissom. She's a beautiful baby."


	15. Chapter 15

Sara sat on her bed, debating about what to do. On the floor, at her feet, Emily sat secured in her carrier. She had everything packed and ready to go - the diaper bag was loaded and Grissom was downstairs waiting, but she couldn't move. They had been planning on taking Emily to visit her grandmothers - her mother and Grissom's - that day.

"Honey?" Grissom said quietly as he poked his head into the room. "The car is warmed up. We need to be heading out."

Sara looked at her feet; she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. There was something about leaving the house that she dreaded. She was also terrified of climbing into the car, with her new baby girl, and driving down the same stretch of road that she had been abducted on.

"Gil… I… I don't think I can," she admitted to him.

She hated herself and, in her opinion, she sounded weak. These people, these kidnappers, were ruining her life. The Doctor was still out there, somewhere. She feared it would only be a matter of time before he found her and Emily. Though Brass and Grissom had installed a state-of-the-art security system, she still felt incredibly vulnerable. She knew he was watching and she didn't know what he looked like.

Grissom knelt beside her. "You can," he said. "We've been promising our mothers for weeks. They're wanting to see their granddaughter."

Sara felt tears slip down her face. She knew he was right, they had been breaking plans with Betty and Laura since Emily's delivery. No matter how hard she tried or what she told herself, she couldn't move. Her limbs refused to budge and the very thought of taking Emily over the threshold was terrifying.

"Can't they come here?" she asked him.

Grissom took her hand and lovingly kissed it. He looked at her quietly, wondering if he should push her into leaving - which could set her back - or give in. He loved his wife, beyond words, and he couldn't force her to go out if she wasn't ready.

"Yeah," he said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'll bring them here for today."

~8~

A week later, it was time to take the baby out again; this time it was for a check-up. Emily was nearing her one-month milestone.

Once again, Sara sat on the edge of her bed, but this time she held the baby. When Grissom entered the room, she looked at him worriedly. He held out his hands to receive the baby and Sara clenched her teeth as she passed him Emily.

"Just a few hours," he reassured. "We'll be back home. I swear."

Sara watched as he buckled the seat and adjusted the straps. "Which way are we driving?" she asked.

This is not what she dreamed her postpartum-life would be like. She had had visions of Grissom and her sharing the burden. She had hopes of being able to bring the baby out and about, showing her off to her friends and family. What she was experiencing now was not ideal.

"Trust me," Grissom said. "Just trust your husband. I'm not going to let anything happen to her or you."

~8~

The pediatrician, Dr. Foty, held Emily close and rocked her gently. Sara sat to the side, drumming her fingers lightly on her knee. Grissom put his hand on hers and squeezed her fingers together. She wanted to cry- she hated being like this. In a way, she felt like she was still a prisoner.

"Does she eat a lot?" Dr. Foty asked.

Sara nodded. "She… she eats every five hours or so. She eats a lot."

Dr. Foty smiled. "That's good," she laid Emily on a scale. "we want a healthy girl."

As the doctor watched the numbers and wrote on Emily's chart, Sara gazed at her little girl. Since the moment she first held her in her arms, the baby had grown. She loved dressing her, and for today, she had dressed Emily in a blue-jean jumper that had panda bears printed on the front. On her feet, she had baby-sized Saddle Oxfords.

"She's gained a pound," Dr Foty said, taking her off the scale and handing her to Sara.

Once Emily was in her arms, she felt the muscles in her body loosen. She brought the little girl close to her and laid her against her shoulder. She loved being a mother, and her life had definitely changed. Emily needed constant feeding, changing, and walking. Grissom was more than willing to take over so she could sleep, but the months of having Emily as her only companion had done something to her.

~8~

Emily began wailing at four in the morning- as usual. Sara groaned and forced herself into a sitting position. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and Grissom snapped the bedroom light on.

"Stop," he said. "Lay down. Let me get her."

Sara shook her head. "You have that interview today," she said. "I've got her."

He stood with her, walked around to her side, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Enough," he said, more curtly than he intended to. "You need to rest. I'm the father; you need to let me share the responsibilities."

She pushed past him, but he followed her over to the baby's basinet. Inside, Emily was red-faced, wailing, and waving her arms. Sara bent to scoop her up, but Grissom was faster. He laid the baby on his shoulder and began to move from side to side, all the while patting her back.

"I have got this," he said to her seriously.

He left the room with her and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. They kept bottles of milk in the refrigerator, and tonight he intended to use one. He could hear Sara's soft footsteps behind him as he crossed the living room; he was growing annoyed at her lack of trust, but he kept reminding himself that she couldn't help it.

"Go back to bed," he said to her as he turned on the stove.

He filled a pot with water and set it on the eye to heat. Then, he took a bottle from the fridge. He set the bottle in the pot and then turned to grab Emily's diaper bag. Sara watched him do all this but, despite being exhausted, refused to return to bed.

"Fine," Grissom said. "watch me be a father then."

"I know you know how to be a father," Sara said in her defense.

Grissom did not look at her, instead he laid Emily on the table and began to change her diaper. She was still wailing and kicking her legs out, but he still managed to clean her. When he was finished, the baby was still crying but not as loudly. He laid her against his chest and rocked her from side to side.

"Then let me," he said. "our family is the most important thing in the world to me now. You have to let me do this too. If you don't, then I can't see this marriage lasting until she starts school. No matter how much I love you."

Sara lowered her head and didn't answer him, but she knew he was right; it had to stop. She needed to try and push past the darkness in her life. Grissom and Emily were her family. Her life.

"Baby… you need to talk with me," he said softly to her. "Let me in. Let me help you."

~8~

After a month of going to the therapy group, Sara was prescribed one-on-one therapy with Dr. Ryan. That day she had left Emily in the waiting room with Grissom. She was trying her hardest to show him how much she trusted him, but each time she left her with him she realized that she didn't trust anyone.

"Sara," Dr. Ryan said. "Tell me more about The Doctor."

Sara pursed her lips. She hated people digging around in her brain and pushing her limits. She didn't want to talk about The Doctor. She wanted him to be a dead part of her life, but he wasn't; she heard his voice every day.

"I told the police everything I could," she stated curtly. "I never saw his face."

"That's not what I mean," Dr. Ryan said. "How did he scare you? What did he say to you?"

Dr. Ryan was used to Sara's standoffish demeanor. She knew she had to push her patient to the brink before she would break down and discuss her feeling instead of stating facts.

Sara began to breath loudly through her nose. "I can't remember," she said.

"Try?" Dr. Ryan said firmly.

"He singled me out!" Sara finally shouted. "He began to … tell me he loved me. He talked about his family that died and that was I KNEW what he wanted- a new family."

Dr. Ryan was quiet, but she looked at her watch and then wrote something down. Sara felt anger burning inside of her. She wanted to scream and curse somebody, anybody.

"He told me he loved me because I had spirit. And he told me he loved my little girl. Not HIS little girl ... MY little girl," Sara said.

"Your's and Gil's," Dr. Ryan added. "Have you been letting your husband help? He's here for you."

Sara put her head in her hands. "But he wasn't there," she said. "I was alone in there. I was fattened up like a cow and you can't expect me to … just get over that."

~8~

Outside the door, Grissom sat with Emily's stroller in front of him. The baby was awake, her deep blue eyes, the eyes most infants have, were fixed on something in front of her. He couldn't tell if she was focused on him or not, but he hoped she was.

This wasn't the life he wanted to have with Sara. He had imagined a life where they would take the baby to the park or to visit his colleagues. He had looked forward to his responsibilities as a father, and in a way he felt cheated. It wasn't Sara's fault; he couldn't blame her for this.

Inside the stroller, Emily began to whimper. Grissom lifted her out gently and cradled her in his arms. He had never thought that he could love someone so much. This little being depended on him and he was not going to let her down.

He reached into the diaper bag for a bottle, uncapped it with one finger, and offered it to the fussy infant. After a few tries, she accepted the bottle and began to make smacking noises as she ate.

"That's it," he said, sitting back in the chair. "You're getting the hang of this whole 'being born' thing."

He took off the little wool cap and gazed at the mass of wispy hair; he loved everything about his little girl. He loved the way she cried. He loved the way she took her bottle. Most of all, he loved the way she smelled— brand new.

"I love you, little bug," he said as she ate.


	16. Chapter 16

As part of their therapy, for both mothers and fathers, the therapists had recommended group 'tummy time'. Once a week each couple brought their infant, placed them on their bellies in a circle, and talked about the individual ways they were coping. Emily, since she was the youngest, was the least developed, but she was catching up. The oldest baby was Kelsey Compton's son.

"I walk a lot more," one mother offered. "it was hard to leave the house at first, but we're getting there."

Sara sat beside Grissom quietly, watching as Emily squirmed her tiny limbs. She felt alone in the group. Despite the fact that they had all suffered together, she was the only one who had met The Doctor. Grissom asked for her to let him in, but she didn't know how.

~8~

Grissom studied his wife. He noticed that she had her eyes fixed on Emily and that she was clenching her jaw tightly. He knew what she was thinking, she was thinking about The Doctor. Recently, Brass had pulled him aside and confessed to him what Sara had told him about this mystery man. He felt hurt that she still wasn't trusting him, especially with something so traumatizing, but he needed to put his pride aside. Brass had been positive that The Doctor would be found and that Sara wouldn't have to worry, but he hadn't been. He was still in the wind, and this fact made him better understand his wife's fears.

"I just started a new job," Grissom offered, hoping to encourage Sara to share. "I feel so… nervous leaving my family at home. I think I call home a dozen times a hour."

Sara opened her mouth to say something, and Grissom felt a ray of hope. She looked at everyone in the circle, but closed it.

~8~

The drive back was quiet. Sara had her head turned away from her husband and was looking out the window at the passing cars. Grissom reached over, took her hand, and kissed it.

"I love you… I love you… I love you," he said to her. "Let me in."

Sara turned to look at him and Grissom saw that she was crying. She looked sadder than he had ever seen her look and he felt his heart breaking. He wanted their marriage to work- he needed Sara in his life; she reminded him how to live.

"You think The Doctor is out there," he pointed out. "You think he is waiting on you."

Sara looked away from him. "Who told you about that?" she asked in a whisper. "Brass?"

Grissom nodded. "Yes, he did," he said. "you could have trusted me with something like that. I'm your husband… you can come to me."

With her free hand, wiped her eyes. "I didn't know what to say," she admitted. "I… I still don't. How can you describe something like that?"

"Scream it," Grissom said. "Or write it in a letter and let me read it. You don't have anything to be embarrassed about," he brought her hand up to his cheek. "I can't lose you."

Sara slammed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of anguish. The only thing that was keeping her sane was the feel of Grissom's beard on the back of her hand.

"Yes," she sobbed. "I'll let you in."

Grissom sighed with relief and kissed her hand again "Thank you," he said.

~8~

_Gil, _

_I don't know how to even start writing this… it is so weird. I guess I am a little glad I am not looking into your eyes as I write this, because I still blame myself. I still blame myself for almost losing our little girl, for what is happening to our marriage, and for my own problems. Marrying you was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I will never regret it. I feel like I am drowning and there aren't any life rafts to be seen. I sometimes feel like sanity is drifting away and any chance I had at a normal life as a mother is now gone. Okay, well I guess I better start. I first met The Doctor after I called you for help. Hearing your voice after all that time gave me hope and I finally felt like I had a chance. When I set the phone aside to run, The Doctor intercepted me and injected me with, what we later learned was, a type of Morphine. I keep thinking that this asshole could have killed Emily with this, but he seemed so sure of himself and this sickened me. When I woke up, I couldn't focus on him. Emmy was still and that is a feeling I will never forget- the feeling of her not moving. I thought she was dead, but after a moment I could feel her heartbeat. He told me to refer to him as The Doctor and that he called me as 'his favorite', like we were rabbits with blue ribbons. He told me that just because he didn't share DNA with Emmy, that he still loved her. He told me he loved me too and that he admired my will. I kept having dreams that Emily was taken from me after I delivered her. I would beg to see her, but she would be taken away. Sometimes, I still have those dreams and I still hear her cries. When I woke up next, I saw you! I didn't believe it at first, but it was real and for a moment I was able to convince myself that it was a dream. At the time, even the fact that The Doctor had escaped didn't bother me. That is, until I delivered our daughter. Now, I feel like someone is after her, or that someone is planning to take her. I don't know what to do. I don't know how someone can help me. I love you so much, Gil. You and Emily are my whole world. I can't lose you. You are right, our marriage won't last if this doesn't stop. Above all of this, I feel guilt for what I put you through. You never talked about how you coped and I know you also had struggles. For all of this, I am so sorry, _

~8~

Grissom lowered the letter and leaned back in his chair. Sara had handed it to him before he had left for work that morning and he had read it as soon as he had keyed into his office. He had gotten the position at WLVU, and leaving Sara and Emily at home was the most difficult thing he had ever done in his entire life. He caught himself wondering if they were safe, and he called home to talk with Sara every chance he could.

Sara didn't seem to mind; she seemed to enjoy his phone calls. All their talks were of Emily. They talked about what they wanted for her future and what new things they were going to teach her, but they never talked about their own relationship. They had never really needed to before, but now that Sara had finally let him in, he saw they did need to talk about their marriage.

~8~

Her phone vibrated just as Sara was laying Emily in her bassinet for the fifth time that morning. As carefully as she could she settled the baby among her blankets and then reached for her phone. She didn't need to read the screen to see that it was Grissom, she knew he would call as soon as he read her letter. And she knew that he'd read it first thing.

"Hey, I just laid her back down," she said, as she checked to make sure the window was locked.

"Is she sleeping?" he asked.

"She's quiet," she replied. "Maybe she'll drift off in a moment."

When she made sure the windows were secured, she set the baby monitor by the bassinet and stole quietly from the room.

"Did you read it?" she asked.

"I did," he said. "None of this is your fault, honey."

Sara was quiet, but Grissom knew she was thinking. Which was not always a good sign, she tended to over analyze everything.

"I shouldn't have left," she confessed. "I knew I should've stayed home. None of this wouldn't have happened. I need to accept that responsibility, I need you to let me."

She heard Grissom sigh and she could envision him putting his hand to his temple. "Okay," he said. "If you feel like you need to, then know that I forgive you. Now, do you forgive me?"

Sara wrinkled her forehead. "For what?" she asked.

"I knew this man was out there," he said. "I left you at the house and I should have brought you with me. You're my wife, and I feel like I put you in a position where you had no choice. If you obligate me to let you accept responsibility, then do the same for me."

Sara put her feet on the floor and sat up straight. "What? Gil -"

"Do you forgive me?" he interrupted.

"You don't have anything-"

"Yes or no?"

"Yes," Sara said in a hurry. "I forgive you. There isn't anything to forgive. We didn't know that this was going to happen to us. We had a right to our lives."

"Exactly," Grissom said.

Sara stopped and thought about what she had just said. He was right- it wasn't their fault. They should have been able to live a normal life and enjoy her pregnancy, but instead they both fell victim.

"Do you understand?" Grissom asked, his voice coming in more clearer than it had before.

Sara looked around her, and for some reason, everything seemed clear to her. Everything seemed to have a color and for a moment she forgot where she had been. It was then that it really hit her- she was home now. Her and Emily were home safe, with Grissom. He would never let anyone hurt her, nor would any of her friends.; The Doctor had lost.

"I do," she said to him.

~8~

When Grissom came home that evening, he was greeted by something that he had been wishing for for a long time. Sara was on the sofa with Emily in her arms, instead of upstairs in bed. There was a light in her eyes that he hadn't seen since her disappearance.

"Daddy's home," she smiled as she rocked the baby.

The energy in the room still felt nervous, but not as much as it had been for the past couple of months. He took a seat beside her and held out his arms to receive the baby. To his surprise, Sara passed Emily to him.

"Thank you," he said, patting the infant on the back gently.

He looked down at the baby in his arms and stared lovingly at her sleeping face. Sara rested her head against his shoulder, and with that simple gesture, he knew what she was trying to say. He put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"How was your day?" she asked.


	17. Chapter 17

Even though a full recovery was probably years away, trusting Grissom was a breakthrough. Now, instead of isolating herself with Emily when she grew anxious and afraid, she began to rely on her her husband more with each passing day. As their daughter grew, it became a habit to pass her to him when he came home from work and retreat into the bathroom for a soak. Grissom proved to be a wonderful father, as well as husband.

Since Sara had trusted him, Grissom admitted to her that he turned to alcohol after she had been taken. He told her of the times that he called Brass to drive him home, and about how he slept in hotels or in his car because he couldn't sleep in their bed without her. He was embarrassed to admit that he had been such a mess, but she listened to everything he said without judging him.

After he said his part, they cried together and comforted one another. Their tears had been long overdue, and they held each other for hours. Sara talked about how having Emily inside of her made her feel like he was there too. This touched him deeply, and they made love. At first Sara was nervous because her body looked different now. She had changed and she felt self conscious. When Grissom kissed every part of her, all of her fears were put aside.

~8~

To her parent's, Emily was the most precious baby in the world. To them, she was their anchor in the darkness. She had the most beautiful laugh that Grissom had ever heard. It was so sweet and innocent, that it could melt the hardest of hearts. Once Sara or Grissom heard her laugh, they would continue whatever action caused it. They kept at it until Emily changed her mind or until she fell asleep. Grissom's favorite thing to do was to lay his daughter on his lap. Then, he would slowly lift her up - his hands supporting her neck- until they touched noses.

"Hello!" he said to her when their faces were close together.

Emily erupted in a short, high pitched laughed and began to stiffly move her arms and legs. She looked at her father in anticipation, her mouth open and ready for her next outburst. Slowly Grissom lifted her towards his face and touched his nose to hers.

"Hello," he said to her.

Emily exploded in another high pitched, gurgling laugh and waved her arms around. Sara had taken the mittens off of her hands and her fingers were curled, making tiny fists. Grissom gently took one in his free hand and kissed it. This, too, sent Emily into a laughing fit and he looked at his little girl with love.

"What's funny?" he asked her.

He felt the sofa shift and soon Sara laid her head on his shoulder. She gazed down at the baby in his lap and watched as Grissom kissed their daughters little fist again. Emily cackled with laughter and stretched a leg out.

"She likes your beard," Sara said, stroking his jaw.

"Oh I see," he said, smoothing his facial hair with his thumb and index finger.

"Is that it, baby?" Sara asked the little girl. "Is daddy's beard funny?"

Emily's tiny mouth opened in a silent laugh and she kicked her legs out. Grissom captured a tiny foot and brought it to his mouth. He kissed the sole and the baby erupted in another laughing fit. This time, a thin stream of drool trickled down her chin.

"I got it!" Grissom whispered dramatically as he dabbed mouth with her bib.

Sara was still tracing his beard with her index finger. He looked at her sideways and she gave him a broad smile. He brought Emily to his shoulder and began to rub her back gently.

"I like your beard too," she said with a grin.

Grissom raised his eyebrows. "Oh?" he said. "What do you like about it?"

Sara shrugged and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Depends on what you're doing with it."

~8~

Sara never took Emily out alone. If she needed anything, she told Grissom and he would pick it up or they would go shopping on his day off. She didn't want to turn into a recluse, but she wasn't mentally ready to go out alone with the baby.

"Is there anything you want to make tonight?" he asked on one of their trips.

Sara thought for a moment. "Pasta actually sounds heavenly," she answered,

Emily was strapped to her chest in a papoose type of carrier; she was awake, but quiet. The little girl loved motion and whenever she was in the car, she fell asleep. Today, whenever Sara stopped walking, she rotated her hips in a circular motion and patted the baby on the back.

"Yeah but what kind," he said, motioning to the shelf. "I see like… fifty."

Sara pointed. "Get that one," she said as she pointed to a jar.

"I don't think we've had that kind before," he replied, getting the jar from the top shelf.

"Yes we have," Sara said.

As they talked, Sara rotated her hips. She didn't see the woman behind her approach, but oddly she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she stopped rocking to turn around.

"Excuse me," a woman said to her. "I just noticed that she was so well behaved. I can't get mine to be quiet for a moment."

Sara didn't respond, she only stared back at the lady. The hairs on her arms were standing on ends and her heart began to hammer. In her papoose, Emily began to whimper at the lack of motion and Sara began to rock her again.

"Constant motion," Sara choked out finally.

The woman nodded and smiled. Sara wasn't reassured by her smile in the least and she felt a vague memory flow back to her. She had seen this woman before- she was sure of it.

"Can I ask how old she is?" the woman asked.

Sara choked on her words, but Grissom spoke up first. "We don't feel comfortable giving out that kind of information," he said, putting his hand on Sara's waist and turning the cart around.

~8~

That night as Grissom cooked, Sara settled a whiny Emily in the baby swing that sat in the dining room. She turned it on and Emily grew quiet as she enjoyed the ride. She gently slid little pink mittens over the baby's tiny hands and left her to swing.

In the kitchen, Grissom stood at the counter chopping a tomato. She knew what bothered her about that woman at the grocery store- she had seen her once when she was pregnant. Before she was abducted, she had a vague memory of the same woman asking her how far along she was. Like a fool she had answered.

"Gil, I need to tell you something," she said.

Grissom wiped his hand on the towel that he had draped over his shoulder. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

She pulled out a chair and took a seat. "Do you remember that woman at the store?" she asked.

Grissom looked at her and nodded. "Of course," he replied.

Sara looked down at her shoes, unsure if what she was about to say sounded sane. "I've seen her before," she stated.

Grissom sat down beside her. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice worried.

"When I was pregnant I was shopping… somewhere… and I remember a woman, who looked like her, asking me how far along I was," she told him, growing more anxious as she spoke.

Grissom leaned back in his chair. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I… I don't know," she said. "but… I feel something. Something bad."

Grissom stood up and walked over to where his daughter was swinging. She had fallen asleep and her sleeping face looked precios. Emily's bottom lip was poked out and her dark lashes rested just under her eyes. He took what Sara was telling him very seriously.

"I'm calling Jim," he said.


	18. Chapter 18

Brass wasn't able to get a good view of the woman from the store's security camera, so he called in a sketch artist to draw the face. Grissom let Sara take the helm, as he was sure she saw more since the lady had been standing right in front of her.

"Her nose was really small," Sara said, trying her best to think back.

The more she struggled to remember, the more memories trickled back. Why had she been so honest the first time she saw this lady? Why hadn't she ignored her and politely declined to answer? It was because she thought she was helping her out, and this meant one thing to Sara- this woman had been sent.

"Her bangs were over her eyes," Sara continued.

~8~

Grissom sat in Brass' office with Emily in his arms. Sara's insistence that she had seen the lady from the store before scared him, but he would not admit it to her. In his arms, his daughter was busy suckiling on her pacifier. She was making tiny sucking noises, and Grissom wondered if she was enjoying the taste of it.

"Wow," Brass commented as he entered. "She's going to town on that thing."

Grissom bent forward to secure her into the carrier. "Yeah, it keeps her quiet," he said.

Brass extended a printout towards him. "Is this her?" he asked.

Grissom took it and studied it carefully. "That's her," he said.

~8~

Sara tried not think about the woman. Thinking about things made her paranoid, and that was not the direction she wanted to go in. She was moving forward with Grissom and her therapy. There was finally peace in their home, and she intended to keep it like that.

"Good job!" she said to Emily as Sara gently pulled her into a sitting position.

Emily let out a high-pitched squeal that made Sara wince. She turned to Grissom and gave him a questioning look.

"She's making dinosaur noises," she commented.

He scooted closer to her and slid a hand around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sara pursed her lips and lowered Emily back to a prone position. "Yeah," she said. "I just… never mind."

"What?" he asked.

Sara didn't respond to him. Instead she pulled the baby into a sitting position again. Grissom reached over, picked up Emily gently, and bounced her in his lap. He looked at Sara patiently and finally she laid back on the floor and stared at the ceiling.

"I just want it to be gone," she said. "I don't want to think about it. I'm alright, but I'm not shopping there anymore."

"Do you want me to take some time off of work?" Grissom asked.

Sara shook her head. "No," she said, reaching for Emily. "I need to get past this. We'll be fine and plus, I have those online classes starting soon."

A small community college had hired her to teach, and thankfully they agreed to let her teach from home. Though Emily was still young, she could be left alone in her playpen for a small amount of time. This would give her the chance to get some work done.

Grissom pulled her close to him. "Okay," he said.

~8~

"Okay," Sara said as she laid Emily on her back. "Time for mommy to work."

Emily looked back at her mother, but her mouth was otherwise occupied. The pacifier that Sara had slipped into the baby's mouth wiggled as it was sucked. Sara set a play center over the baby, the kind that had dangling mirrors and toys of all colors. Emily began to reach for them as soon as she saw them, kicking her legs rapidly.

Sara had computer set up in the kitchen, not far from where her daughter was playing. She had her books and notes spread out before her. She quickly logged on and checked to see if the webcam was working. When she saw that everything was as it should be, she opened her class roster and counted the names that were logged in.

Most of the names were ordinary, but some had been made into far-fetched screen names. She had never taught on online class before, or any for that matter, but Grissom had given her a rundown before he left for work and she felt capable.

"Mmmm," Emily gurgled from the livingroom.

As she continued to read the names, she saw one that made her stop. She rubbed her eyes and did a doubletake, but it was clear: The Doctor. Sara began to breath quicker and with more intensity. She stood up, went over to to the sink, and turned on the cold water. She didn't realize she was hyperventilating until she heard her own gasps for air.

"It's not real," she gasped as she splashed water onto her face. "not real."

She returned to the table and sat down in front of the computer again. The screenname was still there. She knew that this could all be a coincidence - there were plenty of people who could go by this name. Quickly she printed the screen.

~8~

Somehow she made it through her classes, but the chance that The Doctor was there stayed in the back of her mind. She saw most of her students- the ones who had webcams- but some only saw her and responded via a chat box. The Doctor was one of these people who responded via chat box. When Grissom came home, he set his things down and made a beeline for his daughter. Sara wanted to show him the roster she had, but put the printout away.

"How did it go today?" he asked her.

"It went fine," she said. "No problems at all."

There was something about her demeanour that he didn't believe, but Sara kept her smile pasted on and he let it go. He lifted Emily out of her playpen and lifter her above his head. Emily screeched and reached her arms out for him.

"Mmmm," Emily gurgled at him.

Sara went into the kitchen where she had been cooking. Grissom and her took turns cooking, and tonight she had thrown together a salad and heated leftover pasta. She eyed the printout that she had stashed on top of the microwave and debated showing it to him. What if he thought she was paranoid?

"I miss you when I'm gone," he said as he came up behind her and put his arms around her. "How about some wine tonight?"

Sara sank into his embrace. "Yeah, that sounds good," she said.

He let her go and opened the cabinet to set out two glasses. She brought a bottle of wine out of a lower cabinet and handed it to him with a smile. How could she ruin the mood now? Everyone was so happy. Emily was occupying herself, and Grissom was being romantic. Life was as it should be. No, she would not show it to him.

~8~

"Oh, it's okay," Sara said as she rocked a fussy Emily. "those teeth are going to be useful."

She patted the baby on the bottom and walked around the room with her. In her arms, Emily had her eyes closed and her hand in her mouth. She had started to show teething signs, but Sara wasn't ready for the heartache that came from hearing your baby in pain.

"Shh," Sara soothed.

She poked her finger into the baby's mouth and started to rub the little gums. As she massaged, she could feel a little tooth trying to emerge. She hated to hear Emily whimper in pain, but the massaging soon began to soothe the little girl.

"Better?" she asked as she sat down in a rocking chair.

As Sara rocked, Emily grew quieter. She looked down at her daughter and smiled. Her little eyes were still blue and Sara wondered if they were going to stay blue, like Grissom's. Emily's eyes were fixed on her, as if she knew her mother was the one supplying the massage to help her.

"You're a pretty girl," Sara said to her. "You're growing too fast."

Emily was growing fast. Already she had been forced to donate a lot of baby clothes that the little girl had grown out of. It made her cry to get rid of the clothes, but they kept the ones they brought her home in.

Downstairs the doorbell rang, but she heard Grissom get up from his desk - his chair squeaked as he moved - to answer the door.

~8~

Grissom moved quickly to answer the door. Emily's sleep patterns had been so sporadic since she had started to teeth, and once she was quiet they needed her to stay that way. When he looked through the peephole, he saw no one. He opened the door, and on the doormat sat a vase of flowers.

He bent over, picked them up, and read the card attached to them. He immediately felt anger boil inside of him and he stepped off the porch to look around the front yard. He looked at the vase in his hand again and then ran towards the street. He looked both directions, but saw no one.

He carried the flowers back inside, shut the door, and locked it. He set the vase in his office and then proceeded to check the other windows and doors. When he was satisfied that the downstairs was secure, he went upstairs to check on Sara and Emily.

"Is everything alright?" Sara asked when she saw him look into the nursery.

Grissom looked at her and debated telling her. There was no way the flowers were coincidental. They had been specifically sent to Sara- or rather to Six. She waited on him to respond to her, but Emily's whimpers soon drew her attention away.

"It's fine," he said to her softly. "It's going to be fine."

~8~

Grissom stashed the flowers in his car and asked for Brass to meet him. Before he had left, he had told Sara to stay inside the house and not to leave for any reason. She asked him, again, what the problem was and he told her not to worry about it. This statement caused an argument, and he left her with his gun and the promise that he'd be back in a hour. He met Brass at Frank's Diner and he took the flowers from Grissom.

"Get out of town this time," Brass told him. "Take Sara and Em and just go. I'll alert the other parents."

Grissom put his hand to his forehead. "Jim, I don't want to tell her," he admitted.

Brass looked at him open-mouthed. "Gil, you have to. This isn't about what's convenient. He could come after her again… after Emily."

Grissom looked away. "I know and I will, but… things have been going so well. I don't want to have a setback."

"Hey, how old is little Emmy getting to be?" Brass asked.

"Almost five months," Grissom replied.


	19. Chapter 19

"Hey, let me ask you something," Brass said to the attendant behind the counter at the floral shop. "Has anyone came by to pick up some flowers today? Anyone looking like this?"

Brass showed the boy, a pimple-faced high schooler, the photo of the woman the sketch artist had drawn. The boy looked at the photo but shook his head.

"Naw man," he said. "Aint seen nobody like her today. What kind of flowers?"

Brass wrinkled his forehead. "Pretty ones. They looked like this," he flashed a photo of a vase of wildflowers.

The boy shook his head again. "We don't got those," he said.

Brass gave the boy a smile. "Thanks for all your help," he said as he left.

That one made four shops down, and many more to go.

~8~

When Grissom returned home, he found Sara upstairs in their bedroom. She was laying with her back towards the door, and for a moment he thought she was sleeping. She looked back at him when he entered the room, but then looked away. He regretted arguing with her, but he was scared and didn't want her to worry about this anymore. She deserved some peace after everything had happened.

"She finally went to sleep," Sara said, not looking at him. "I hate seeing her like that."

He came around to sit down beside her. "She'll be better in a few days," he said.

Sara rolled over to bury her face in his side. "Gil, what did we argue about? You're scared of something. What's going on?"

Grissom grimaced. "You got some flowers," he said gruffly.

Sara sat up and looked at him with wide eyes. She didn't need him to elaborate; she knew who they were from. Quickly she rose from the bed, stole down the steps, and plucked the printed roster off the microwave. Grissom had followed her down the steps and she handed the printout to him.

"I thought this was… just a coincidence. But I don't think it is," she said.

Grissom looked at it with surprise and then back at her. "When did you see this?" he asked.

Sara felt guilty. "Yesterday," she said. "Everyone was so happy. I didn't… want to bring everyone down."

Grissom looked at her seriously. "Sara, why didn't you show me this?" he asked, gripping the paper tightly. "We need to leave."

Sara agreed. "I'm sorry Gil," she apologized. "yes, let's go."

She hurried upstairs into their bedroom and took down Grissom's giant, rolling suitcase. She went to the closet and began to gather enough clothes to last both of them for a few weeks. In the bathroom she grabbed all of their toiletries. Downstairs, Grissom was folding up the playpen and gathering up small things that he saw lying around: Emily's bottle, her pacifier, and the diaper bag.

Emily hadn't been asleep too long, so Sara packed her clothes soundlessly. She didn't want to leave her home, but if she had left last time Grissom had suggested it then they would not be in this situation. After she was confident that everything was packed, she lifted Emily out of the crib and onto her shoulder.

The baby began to fuss immediately and Sara patted her on the back gently. "Shh," she soothed. "We're going on a trip."

~8~

Grissom drove until the sun went down, and when it had set, he still drove. Sara sat in the back seat with Emily. After they had woken her up, she wouldn't go back to sleep. Sara held her in her arms, rocked her, massaged her gums, and sang to her. Finally, she drifted back to sleep and Sara secured her in the car seat.

"Where are we heading?" Sara asked in a whisper as she climbed up into the passenger seat.

Grissom thought for a moment. "I guess whatever is this way," he said. "I just drove. Sorry, I didn't really have a plan."

"That's alright," she said.

She studied him as he drove. She couldn't see his face to well in the dark, but she knew he was frantic. Lovingly she placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed, He looked over at her and she could feel him smiling at her.

"We'll get through this," she said. "I'm scared, but I know we'll make it past this."

Grissom nodded. "Yeah," he said. "It'll be alright."

~8~

They finally stopped in the early morning. Grissom couldn't stay awake any longer and Emily had woken back up. Sara had climbed into the back seat again to care for her, but he took an exit so that his family could rest. They needed to eat and Emily needed to sleep more comfortably.

He picked a hotel that looked busy, yet clean. He paid for a fews days stay and the family carried their bags into the modest room that contained a full-sized bed, a table, and a television. Sara laid Emily on the bed and began to undress her.

"I'm so tired," she commented.

Grissom wasn't listening. He parted the curtains with his hand and looked out into the parking lot. It was well lit, but he still felt unsafe. Everything that mattered to him was in this room and he knew he wouldn't be sleeping well.

"Lay down," he said to Sara. "I'm going to stay up."

~8~

Grissom nodded off as dawn began to break. He stretched out next to Sara and put a loving, protective arm around her. Emily slept in her arms, her little lip poked out in a pouty expression. His dreams were horrible; he had nightmares about waking up and finding his family gone, or of looking into Emily's crib to find that she had been taken.

When he woke up Sara was changing Emily and the television was on. He sat up and rubbed a hand over his face; his body was exhausted. When Sara saw that he was awake, she gave him a smile.

"Lunch?" she asked.

Grissom looked at her. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost eleven," she answered.

"God," Grissom groaned as he sat up.

He looked at Emily, who was happy after being freshly changed. He reached for her and she extended her own arms in return. She was beginning to recognize her parents, and she laughed when she saw them.

"Good morning," he said as he brought her to his chest. "How are those teeth today?"

"She seems to be alright today. Hopefully it'll be a good day for her. Can you sit with her while I take a shower?" she asked.


	20. Chapter 20

In total, Brass had visited nearly fifty flower arrangement establishments before he finally found what he wanted. The business he found was located inside of a Food World grocery store. He flashed the sketch of the mysterious woman, a photo of the flowers, and asked the same questions that he had been asking all day. The woman behind the counter was older, but she nodded with a smile.

"I sold this exact arrangement to her," she said, motioning to a display case. "I wrote the endearment card myself. Funny, she said they were for 'Six'."

Brass thanked the woman and asked for any receipt. The attendant brought him a sales slip with an address printed on it, but when he read it he frowned. The billing address was Grissom's address.

~8~

"Maybe we can go visit my Uncle Pete in Texas," Sara suggested as she swayed Emily back and forth. "I haven't seen him in a long time but it's something."

Grissom turned this over in his mind. He had never met her uncle, and he wasn't too sure if intruding on a strange man — who Sara hadn't seen in years — with a baby was the best route. He shook his head at the idea and racked his brain.

"We don't have the cash flow to stay in hotels," she reminded him. "I know you can handle your classes online, but you still need to have office hours. Maybe we should just—"

"Go home?" he asked a little more curtly than he should have. "Look what happened last time we decided to stay home during this. No… I can't do that."

Grissom was acting more worried than she had ever seen him act. She didn't blame him, she was distraught as well, but he was beside himself. In contrast, she didn't worry about herself. She would gladly sacrifice herself for her baby girl. Grissom, on the other hand, had a wife and daughter that he worried for; he didn't want to lose either one.

"I don't want to say this," Sara started. "but does Heather know anyone?"

Grissom made a face. "Heather's my friend, but I wouldn't trust anyone she does business with."

"Then what?" Sara said loudly, causing Emily to squirm and whine. "We're backed into a corner."

Grissom stood and walked over to the window. "I guess we just wait and see if Jim can put us under some kind of protection. Maybe he can put us in WPS until this ends. Until then, I guess we'll stay here. I'm not worried about the cost; right now it the least of our worries."

Emily whimpered and began to rub her ear — a sign that her teeth were beginning to bother her again. Sara laid her on her stomach and the baby stretch her limbs out and tested her strength.

~8~

"Are the other women reporting anything? Stalking? Phone calls?" Undersheriff Mckeen asked.

Brass shook his head. "No, but they packed up and most of them have gone to stay with family members out of town. That is where Gil and Sara are out-of-luck — they have no other family members except their mothers. I can't see Gil putting his mother in danger."

Mckeen nodded. "I guess we can put them somewhere for a while," he said. "Not WPS, but somewhere safe. We can't until, though, we know for sure that it is this doctor-man."

Brass thought and shook his head and frowned. "What'll happen until we get that evidence? What if the only evidence comes when it is too late? What about Sara's class Roster and those flowers for 'Six'? That isn't enough for you?"

Mckeen sighed. "Alright," he said. "We'll set them up with something."

~8~

What Mckeen set them up with was far from Ideal or what Grissom wanted as far as security. All he did was send a group of officers who, on a rotation, set up camp in their home office. Though Sara was glad to be home, she felt like she once had : a prisoner.

Everyday seemed to blend into the other. The offeciers rotated on a eight-hour schedule, and when one left another one entered the house. It began to anger Grissom because he saw the presence of the officers as evidence that he couldn't protect his family. Sara reverted back to confining herself in her bedroom with Emily. Mostly, the Grissoms stayed upstairs while the downstairs was patrolled.

~8~

Officer Benton had been a patrolman for nearly ten years, and he made it a habit to do his job by the code and to the best of his ability, He was the type of man who didn't mind being on traffic duty — it gave him time to think. On this day he had a newbie with him named Larry. Larry was proving to be very hesitant and jumpy. Benton knew he wouldn't last out a year.

"I'd rather just do this," Larry was saying to him. "Not too much action. I can sit here and just clock speed demons."

Benton was growing frustrated with his lack of courage. "An officer needs to be more than that," he commented.

Larry shrugged. "Just a job," he said.

Benton turned to him. "Those are the kinds of people that turn into power hungry assholes," he said,

As they were speaking a dark, beat-up KIA drove through the intersection, passing through a red light and nearly colliding with a minivan. Benton didn't need to clock the car's speed — it had nearly caused an accident. He flipped on his siren and flashers as he flipped a U-turn to follow the KIA.

"Jesus, this guy is in a hurry," Larry said as Benton navigated through traffic in an effort to keep up with the car.

Seeing that he had no way out of his situation, or at least that was what Benton had thought , the car screeched to a halt and the driver's side door opened. A short, skinny figure stepped out. It was impossible to see a face, there was a hood covering the assailant's head and it cast a dark shadow over his or her features.

"Get down!" Benton yelled as he kneeled down behind his driver's side door.

Obediently the figure raised their hands and lowered themselves to the ground. Benton put his gun in its holster and went over to arrest the perpetrator.

~8~

"So… she was just pulled over for speeding?" Grissom asked.

Brass nodded. "Looks like it," he said. "but we haven't gotten much from her yet. Sara, can you identify her?"

Sara nodded. "Of course." she said. "And I want to speak to her."

~8~

The woman who sat in the interrogation room look defeated. Brass let Sara speak to the mysterious lady as a courtesy — if Ecklie had been present it wouldn't have happened. Sara pulled out the chair across from her and sat with her hands folded. If all of this mess had started because she had been stalked in a grocery store, then she at least wanted to know why she had been picked.

"Do you know my name?" Sara asked.

The woman nodded. "You're Sara… em…. Six," she said.

Sara held out her hands in a 'why' gesture. "Why me?" she asked. "What, did I say something that day to motivate a kidnapping?"

The woman shook her head. "No, it wasn't my idea," she said. "it was his."

"The Doctor?" Sara said. "Where is he."

"Dead," the woman said.


	21. Chapter 21

"Prove it," Sara said to the woman. "If he is dead then produce a body. What was your role in all of this? What's your name?"

"My name is Stephanie and The Doctor was my boyfriend," she explained. "He lost his entire family in a fire — a wife and six daughters. They all had brown hair and dark eyes, like you did."

"And, so he just recruited you into helping him kidnap women?" Sara asked with a disgusted expression.

Stephanie shook her head. "I didn't know!" she insisted. "He just asked me to talk to people."

Sara felt like she was either talking to a liar or an idiot. "You talked to these women separately, and then they went missing," she said. "You do not find that suspicious."

Stephanie lowered her head and began to cry. Her tears angered Sara — she was the one who had the reason to cry. Emily could have been taken from her, and she would have never gotten to know her sweet baby.

"How do you know he is dead?" Sara demanded to know. "Why was I sent those flowers? Who enrolled in my class as 'The Doctor'?"

"It was me," Stephanie said. " He's dead. I can show you his body… or what is left of it."

~8~

Brass and Warrick rode in a squad car with Stephanie in the back. They still didn't have a clear understanding of what had been happening with the missing mothers and infants, but from what they did know the assumed that The Doctor had been trying to replace his own family that had been lost long ago.

"He's around the corner by the big tree," Stephanie instructed from the back seat.

When Brass rounded the bend, he saw the tree that she was talking about. Underneath the tree was what appeared to be unmarked grave. There was no marker or flowers.

"There," Stephanie said.

~8~

At the Grissom house, the policemen had shut down their stakeout. Sara felt relieved to be able to walk with Emily around the house with having pairs of eyes judging her. Though Stephanie had taken Brass and Warrick to The Doctor's body, Sara didn't feel convinced. She had never seen the man's face. How could anybody be one-hundred percent sure it was him?

"What would make you feel comfortable?" he asked her. "What can we do to ease this?"

Sara sat down on the sofa with a sleeping Emily in her arms. The baby was in a deep sleep, and her bottom lip was poked out. Sara loved the sleeping face of her baby. It brought her peace to know that she had created something so innocent.

"I just want to feel normal again," she said. "and I don't feel normal here."

"Then we'll move," he said. "We'll move closer to the school where the security is tighter."

Emily stirred and Sara laid the child on her shoulder and patted her back. "Isn't that a little extreme?" she asked. "I mean, if he is really dead then we'll be fine. The crooks he hired are in prison, and Stephanie will be in prison for at least a year for aiding in a kidnapping."

"Not when my family is concerned," Grissom replied. "I think it would be just the right thing to do."

~8~

"So we can neither confirm nor deny that this is The Doctor?" Catherine asked.

Doc Robbins nodded. "Since Stephanie was of no relation and Sara never saw his face, we may just have to take her word for it," he explained. "Which is the most risky thing we could do."

Catherine agreed. "If he isn't dead, then he could come after Sara again," she said. "For Sara's sake, I hope the man is in Hell."

~8~

Grissom talked to the university about being assigned a house in the faculty-housing section. Since Sara's kidnapping had been in the news, the school granted him a spot and he moved his family into a tolerable home within a week. The university house was not like their former home — which Sara had been sad to leave. It was smaller, but they found space for all of their furniture. Grissom's jarred specimens were kept in his on-campus office,

Though it was smaller, it was noticeably safer. Because of the students, security patrolled the streets frequently. They had been instructed to round the faculty housing neighborhood twice. Sara also felt comfortable taking Emily out in her stroller.

Though things were not ideal, Sara hoped that one day everything would make sense. She planned to make the best out of her life right now. Even though things were unsure at the moment, she knew that with Grissom beside her, one day everything would be alright.

* * *

**Time Jump : 6 months**

* * *

"Oh, Emmy!" Sara gasped when she saw the mess on the floor. "What did you do, silly girl!?"

Emily sat on the floor, a plant in one hand and a clump of soil in the other. Sara had left her sitting on a blanket while she put away laundry, but the child had different plans. She had uprooted a potted plant and had created a masterpiece on the kitchen floor.

"Uh oh," Emily said as she put a finger to her mouth. "No."

"Oh, no," Sara sighed, hoping the baby would imitate her. "Well, let's get you cleaned up before Daddy gets back."

She carried the baby into the bathroom, undressed her, and sat her in the tub. She turned on the water and Emily squealed when she saw the water rush towards her. She loved bath-time, especially if Sara added bubbles.

"Let's get a clean girl," Sara sighed as she kneeled on a towel to clean the baby.

~8~

That night, all of the mothers and fathers — who had been affected by the kidnappings — met for the last time. The babies were all around the age of one now. So much time had passed, and life was beginning to return to normal — or at least what they had dreamed motherhood would be like.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Lakesha said. "but my family and I are ready to move on."

Sara agreed. "I'm in a place now where I can sleep peacefully," she said. "without nightmares plaguing me."

"I'm expecting again," Kelsey said to the group.

~8~

By the time Grissom and Sara finally returned home, Emily had fallen asleep. Grissom carried her into the house and they tucked her into her bed. After that, Sara took Grissom by the hand and led him to bed. I had been six months since The Doctor's body had been found, and somehow she had been able to find peace. After Stephanie was arrested, nothing happened. The name 'The Doctor' disappeared from her classes. She also didn't feel the need to look over her shoulder. She was now finally able to relax and enjoy her family.


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you required to be there?" Sara asked as she set Emily on her feet.

Emily took a small step, wobbled, and fell on her bottom. "Uh oh," she said as she looked up at her parents.

Grissom set her back on her feet and steadied her. "It would be good if I showed my face for a few hours, yes," he said.

Recently, he had been offered a higher position at the university. The board of trustees also wanted to give him an award for a paper he had published in a science magazine recently. Grissom had never been the one to be really be enthralled by the politics of a university, but it would be rude not to accept.

Emily took another small step, wobbled, by stayed upright. She squealed — a sound that matched the pitch of a velociraptor — and clapped her hands together. She took another step, but then she fell again. This time she clambered over to her toy basket and pulled out the first item she could grasp.

"I don't want to leave her alone," Sara said honestly. "I know it's been almost a year, but I don't feel right about it."

"I don't either, but we can't live like this," Grissom pointed out. "We need to be able to… go out and spend time together. I love Emmy to death, but we need to focus on each other as well."

Sara didn't know how to respond. She too sometimes felt as if it was overwhelming to be around Emily constantly, but she wasn't ready to let her out of her sight. Yet, she also wanted to spend time with her husband. Truthfully, since Emily had arrived she had started to feel unattractive to him. Grissom did everything he could to let her know that that wasn't true, but she felt it nonetheless. A large part of her wanted to be taken out to a fancy meal while Emily was safe in someone else's care for a little while, but she didn't trust many people.

"I want my beautiful wife to go with me," Grissom said as he lifted Emily up and set her on his knee. "And you could use a night out."

Sara chuckled. "I don't fit into the dresses I wore before I got pregnant!" she joked.

Grissom shrugged. "Go buy a new one," he said. "Or just wear that."

Sara looked down at her sweatpants and laughed. "I swear to God there is a hole in the crotch!" she laughed. "I can't see it, but I know it's there somewhere."

Grissom raised his eyebrow. "Oh, I'll check for you."

"You have our daughter on your lap," Sara pointed. "You're busy right now."

Grissom looked at his watch. "I think it's naptime," he said. "What do you think, Em?"

Emily looked up at him and smile. "Da…," she gurgled. "Da da da da."

~8~

Sara hadn't given Grissom a definite answer whether she would go with him to the ceremony, but she took him up on his offer to buy new clothes while he stayed home with the baby. It had been a long time since he had taken her out on a romantic date, and lately romantic had been dinner on the couch after Emily had gone to sleep. Their lives had done a complete three-sixty since Emily had come into the picture, but the little girl completed them.

"I recommend this design," an attendant said as she held out a sleeveless dress. "You have beautiful shoulders."

Sara took it. "It is pretty," she said. "I guess it takes a while to get used to how much having a baby can affect your body."

"Try it," the woman said, extending it towards her.

Sara took it and was led into a changing room. She actually had no intention of buying anything in the over-priced store, but Grissom would be saddened if she showed no interest in going with him. With a sigh she stripped off her clothes and pulled the dress over her head.

~8~

She ended up buying the dress, a pair of matching shoes, and a handbag. When she returned home, Grissom and Emily were gone. Since the stroller was missing from the back porch, she wasn't worried. He had more than likely taken Emily on a walk and would be back any moment. She took her purchases into the bedroom and stowed the bag away in the closet. As she was walking by, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked slightly different than the person she had been before Emily came along.

"Are you home?!" she hear Grissom call as he entered the house.

"I'm in here!" she called back.

He entered the bedroom with Emily in his arms. Apparently her walk must have been exhausting for her because she was asleep in her father's arms and her head was resting on his shoulder.

"Did you get something?" he asked.

Sara looked towards the closet. "I got a little something, but it was expensive," she said as she bit her lip.

Grissom shrugged. "You haven't treated yourself in a while," he motioned to the sleeping baby on his shoulder. "I don't know if you noticed, but we made it through our afternoon unscathed."

Sara smiled broadly at him and walked over to admire their sleeping child. The little girl's hair hadn't grown enough for a cut yet, but it had enough curls and body to it. She smoothed the the silky locks out of the sleeping baby's face and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"She looks just like you," Sara commented. "Especially that nose."

Grissom disagreed. "I think she looks more like you. She has your jaw line — the 'Sara Face'."

"There is a face-shape called 'Sara Face'?" she asked with a laugh.

"I patented it. I expect royalties any day now," he joked.

Sara gave him a wry smile. "Lay her down and come back," she said in her husky voice.

Grissom raised his eyebrows at her. "Do you have something for me?" he asked in a low voice.

Sara smiled. "I may," she replied.

~8~

Sara did have something for him. After they had made love, he held her in his arms and ran his fingers through her hair. They didn't need to say anything to one another — they were content in their silence. Grissom planted a kiss on top of her head, and she tilted her head upwards to look at him.

"Do you have to go?" she asked.

Grissom sighed. "I... need to go," he replied. "You have to come if you don't want to. I'll just be a moment."

Sara laid her check against his chest and listened to the sound of his heart beating. "Do you want me to go with you?" she asked.

"Honey... I... would like it if you came with me, but I'll understand if you don't," he said. "I want you to be proud of me."

From the nursery, Sara heard Emily whimper. Nap time — for both parents and children — was over. With a sigh Sara gave Grissom a kiss. She pulled his head close to hers and gazed into his eyes. When they had first married — though they did love each other deeply — it felt more like a sense of duty. Now that she was more settled, she felt as if he was always meant to be her husband.

"I'll go with you," she said. "I've always been proud of you."

~8~

The next night, they asked Catherine's mother to come and sit with Emily for a couple of hours. Sara couldn't shake her nervousness, and she had found herself organizing things constantly. Grissom stood by the front door with her coat, waiting patiently.

"Here's the number where we'll be," Sara said. "And our cell phone numbers. And if those don't work then campus security can contact us. Um... she shouldn't wake up, but if she does just bring her into the living room and she'll play for a little while. If she needs to be changed, her items are all in the basket next to the changing table," Sara paused and put her finger to her lip. "I think that's... oh... her bottles are all in here, but she eats more solids now... so... there are some grapes and carrots in here."

Grissom gently took her by the arm. "It's alright," he said. "We'll only be gone for a couple of hours. Maybe not even that long."

Though he was playing cool, he was nervous also. He didn't want to take this step and leave Emily alone with a sitter, but he and Sara needed a proper date night. He would be comfortable if they just stayed home and ate take-out on the couch, but that wan't beneficial for them. Plus, they weren't even leaving campus. All his actions were to put Sara at ease, but he was just as restless as she was.

"Oh... okay... call me if you have any questions. If she wakes up and she's afraid, she may cry pretty loud. You can turn on her night light or her mobile if she's scared," Sara said. "If she is cold, there are more little blankets in the closet."

Grissom opened the door and guided Sara outside. "Can you tell she's anxious?" he half-joked.

~8~

Grissom introduced her to many of his colleagues, but he didn't subject her to mindless conversations. He did introduce her to a physicist, and they shared an exchange about proton reversal, but soon the ceremony began. She tried to listen to each speaker, but she kept wondering if Emily had woken up. She slid her phone out her clutch and sent a text to Lily. She did her best to hide the screen, and she turned the brightness as low as she could. Grissom put his hand on hers and gave it a loving squeeze. She blushed sheepishly because the people they were sharing their table with were clearing their throats.

Soon Grissom's name was called, and he stood to shake hands and accept his award. Sara applauded heartily and felt pride for his achievement. She was glad that she had come. It was important that, as a wife, she support him. He gave a short speech and spoke briefly about his article. He thanked his fellow scientist and expressed his gratitude.

"Lastly and most of all, I want to thank my wife. She... made time to be here tonight, and she's always been my biggest supporter," he said.

Sara felt a wave of euphoria. She wasn't expecting him to even mention her in a ceremony that was meant to honor him. When he returned to their table, she pulled him into a kiss. The other's at the table cleared their throats again, and Sara smirked.

"How about we ... head out now," Grissom suggested.

Sara felt a wave of relief. "I like that idea," she said.

~8~

When Grissom pulled into the driveway, he had barely put the car in park when Sara opened her door to step out. She heard him call out to her, but she didn't stop until she was on the front porch. She waited for a few moments, afraid of what she would find when she opened the door. She felt her heart pounding, and she realized that she was actually afraid. She was afraid that The Doctor had come. Finally she pushed open the door and saw Lily sitting on the couch reading a novel.

"You're home," she said with a smile. "How was it?"

"Oh... it was...," she said. "Did she wake up?"

Lily smiled at her. "No, I didn't hear a peep."

_"I left the window open," _Sara thought as she walked toward the nursery.

She knew that when she opened the door, she would find an open window and an empty crib. She didn't want to turn the knob. She was afraid.

"Hey," she looked beside her to Grissom standing there. "she'll be there. Just open the door."

Sara took a deep breath, opened the door and... saw Emily's curly-haired head. She walked over to the crib and touched one of the silky locks. She listened intently, and heard the sounds of her daughter breathing. Finally, she exhaled and she noticed that she had been shaking.

"See," Grissom said, putting a hand on her waist and leading her out of the room. "she's just fine. Sound asleep."

He had been holding his breath too.


	23. Chapter 23

After her first night out without Emily, Sara began to feel at ease. She wasn't in too much of a hurry to do it again, but at least she was able to know she had the option if she wanted a night out. Grissom's new promotion suited him with new responsibilities. He began to stay longer to hold night classes, and Sara tried not to let it bother her too much. Instead, she took advantage of not having to work — his job paid well. One thing that Sara found that she had time for was taking Emily to swimming lessons. Emily loved having her bath, so a the large swimming pool at the YMCA, which was heated in the winter, was a win. Sara liked the class — not only because it strengthened the bond between her and her daughter — but because it also had a teacher who was certified to instruct Infant Rescue Swimming.

At first, Sara kept her attention mainly focused on Emily and didn't become friendly with the other mothers. But after a few trips to the pool, she began to find herself pulled into conversations about diets and sleeping patterns. It was around that time that Sara finally noticed the change that had happened within her. She once had been satisfied with achieving career goals or climbing the career ladder, but for now she was satisfied to spend time watching her daughter flourish.

Soon, she started to meet with other parents at an indoor playground so Emily could play, learn some social skills, and get exercise. The playground was mostly made up of cushioned structures they posed no threat if a child were to bump into one. There was a ball-pit - that was only ankle deep for adults - and an array of other plastic toys. The mothers would walk around the area and keep an eye on each other's child. Sara didn't want any of the other parent's to see how anxious she was, but after spending time with them, she found that nervousness was just a natural part of being a new parent - however not to the degree that she was experiencing it.

Emily seemed to be having the time of her life. She hadn't mastered a steady gait yet, but she toddled around with her new little friends. It delighted Sara to see the joy on her daughter's face.

It was on one of these carefree days that, as she was packing Emily's bag and getting ready to scoop her up, that she saw her daughter approach with something bright in her fist. Sara bent down to inspect what her daughter had found, but it was only a carrot. She thought that perhaps one of the other parents had given it to her and dismissed it quickly.

"Are you ready to go eat with daddy?" she said as she lifted the little girl up and onto her hip.

"Mmmm," Emily replied, holding out the carrot.

"Delicious carrots," Sara replied as she walked towards the exit.

~8~

Grissom's promotion came with a new office and a personal secratary. The woman was friendly to Emily, but Sara noticed that that wasn't the case where her boss' wife was concerned. Though she was polite, it seemed that it was out of obligation. Instead of sulking about it, Sara shrugged it off. She was the wife of one of the country's leading entomologists, there were bound to be women who envied her.

"Dr. Grissom will be in in a moment," the secretary stated. "You can go in and have a seat."

Sara, of course, never needed permission to enter her husband's office, but she smiled at the woman and stepped inside. The office was not fully decorated yet, but the first thing that Sara noticed was that he had hung up his diplomas. She walked over to one, put her finger on the corner, and straightened it. She turned to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a cracker from a box that he kept inside. She offered it to Emily, who took it and brought it to her mouth in a hurry.

"It isn't a contest," she teased her daughter.

She sat down at the desk and her eyes fell on a picture of her - one that she didn't like very much. A picture of Emily was stuck into the corner of the frame.

"I'm sorry," Grissom said as he entered. "Class ran late."

Emily squealed and laughed. In Sara's arms, she wriggled and kicked her legs. She hadn't seen her father since the night before, and he had already left for work by the time she had woken up. Grissom held his arms for her and Sara gladly held the baby out to him. The baby's laughter increased as her father drew closer to her.

"Did you miss me?" he asked as he took her. "I missed you. Daddy missed you very much."

Sara smiled. "She's had a busy day today," she said.

Grissom looked at his little girl. "Did you have a busy day?" he asked.

Emily put her hand on his check and rubbed his beard. She let out a squeal and he turned to his wife. Sara shrugged and gave him a smile. "She loves your beard," she said. "You remember what happened the first time she noticed that you had shaved?"

Grissom chuckled. "She wouldn't let me touch her until it started to grow back," he said. "that just about broke my heart."

Emily put her arms around her father's neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He began to rock her from side-to-side, humming softly as he moved.

"I have to take a picture," Sara commented as she pulled her phone out. "this is absolutely precious. Father and daughter."

"If we don't leave now, she may go to sleep. We'll never make it out," Grissom said softly.

Sara shrugged. "We can just order something," she said. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

~8~

Getting up the nerve to leave Emily was difficult, but not as hard as it had been the first time. Grissom wanted to take Sara out to celebrate Emily's first birthday. They had already eaten the the celebratory birthday cake - that Emily had demolished - but he wanted to take his wife out to celebrate as well. After all, their daughter's birth held meaning for them too.

Once again, Lily came to sit with Emily. Sara had tucked her into bed first and had rubbed her back until she had fallen asleep. When the little girl was passed out, she flicked on the night-light and stole quietly from the room.

"Okay, she's out," she whispered to Grissom.

He smiled at her, but there was something behind the smile that she couldn't put her finger on. He held up her coat for her and she slipped into it. She turned to him to stare at him questionably.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Grissom shrugged. "I just… don't feel right about something," he said. "Something feels… off."

Sara looked around and then went quietly back into Emily's room to check the window again. It was secure, but to be sure she went around the house and checked the others as well. When she walked back into the living room, Grissom was giving Lily all of the information about where they would be.

"She'll be just fine," Lily said with a smile.

Sara too one last look back towards the nursery and hesitated. Grissom was right, something felt wrong.

~8~

Grissom's idea to celebrate their daughter's birthday was to dine at a restaurant that didn't offer a children's menu or high-chair. He took Sara to a new italian restaurant that had opened and quickly played the part of a gentleman by opening doors and pulling out her chair.

"Oh my," Sara said with a smile. "I don't think we've been to a place like this in a long time."

Grissom looked around sheepishly. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked.

"No no no, " Sara said. "I just meant that it is nice for a change."

"Oh." Grissom replied. "Well, I just wanted us to have some quiet time tonight - some us time. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Emmy's been born."

Sara sat back. "Yeah, it's been a ride. We have plenty of more yet to come. She's already showing us her personality."

A waiter approached the table and Grissom ordered a bottle of wine. Sara raised her eyebrows, but didn't oppose to it. They were celebrating after all. Yet, in the back of her mind something still seemed ... off.

"My favorite part of being a father is having you as my wife," he said. "I don't think I could have made it through all of the bottles and diapers and boo-boos with anyone else. You are certainly my other half."

Sara smiled at him and reached across the table to take his hand. "It hasn't been perfect, and I'm sorry for that. But you are definitely my hero. Being married to you … I don't need anything else. I'm happy. I'm happy with our little family."

~8~

Currently, Lily Flynn was engrossed in one of the romance novels her last husband called 'trashy'. Though they were not the best written pieces of literature on the planet, they were steamy.

She had gotten up to check on Emily one time. Other than a change in position, she was fine. She was just about to begin a new chapter, when she heard a crash come from the back of the house. Quickly she set the book down and stood to peer down the hallway.

"Grissom?" she said, wondering if perhaps Sara and Grissom had come through the back door for some reason.

She didn't receive a response. Knowing that she was too old to be afraid of things that went bump in the night, she walked through the hall and opened the door to the nursery. The night-light sent a soft glow through the room, and she could clearly see Emily in her crib.

Once again, she heard a thump come from somewhere further down the hall. She shut the door softly and turned to face the direction from where the sound was coming from. The last door in the hallway led to a laundry room, and this is where Lily was sure the source of the sound was coming from.

She creaked the door open, and she saw nothing but a laundry basket and a pile of clothes. She stepped further into the room, but that was as far as she got. She didn't even realize that she had been knocked unconscious.


	24. Chapter 24

Emily opened her eyes and sat upright. She blinked into the dim room and looked around for her mother — who had just been there. She grasped the rails of her crib and pulled herself up. It hadn't been easy to learn to use her leg muscles — gravity wasn't exactly her friend at the moment.

"Mah!" she called.

She waited for a moment, but she heard nothing. She wrinkled her forehead in worry and did the only thing she knew to do — cry. Usually, if she started to cry in the night, one of her parents would come and giver her milk. She sounded the alarm once and waited. No one came.

"Da… da!" she wailed.

She turned up the volume on her cry and this time she wrinkled her face to produce tears. It was official, no one was going to come. Her parents had abandoned her and she was forgotten. She let go of the bars and landed on her bottom. She was scared now, she needed her mother to come and get her before something terrible happened. Life was just too difficult at the moment.

"Maaaaa!" she wailed as she pulled the blanket over her head.

The door to her bedroom opened and Emily stopped wailing; her cries had been heard. She pulled the blanket off her head and peeked through the bars to see which parent had come to help her. Her mother was always came with kisses and her father always came with hugs.

"Make it fast," someone, who was neither parent, said. "Just grab the kid."

This immediately frightened her. There was a stranger in her bedroom and that was something that she didn't like. Without hesitating, Emily began to scream for her parents. They needed to come and stop this.

"Mah… mah mah mah … da!" she called as loud as her little lungs would allow.

A pair of hands reached down and before she knew what was happening, she was being taken from her crib. For a moment she stopped crying; maybe this person was going to bring her milk.

"Do I get some of her things?" another person said.

"No, just get the kid," the other person responded. "let's go."

Emily felt herself being carried away and she began to scream again. Her parents still hadn't come, and that wasn't normal — they always came. In attempt to get away from this stranger, she arched her body and kicked her legs.

"Aubry, stop!" the person said.

Emily wailed and balled her fists. She knew how to throw a fit and get the outcome she wanted. She also had new teeth, and she knew how to use them. She brought her head up and her mouth up to her captor's arm. She sank her teeth in and she was pulled away quickly.

"She's got teeth," her captor said. "She's like her mom."

"What about the mother?" the other person asked.

"Later. She comes later."

~8~

Sara had ordered a mushroom risotto. As they waited, she spoke to Grissom about her hopes for the next year. She wanted the family to take a vacation out of the country so that Emily could become cultured. When she was mid-sentence, she felt a wave of fear and stopped to look at her phone.

"What?" Grissom asked.

"I just... that feeling…. I just feel like I want to get home," she said. "Can we… go home?"

He looked at her worriedly. "Of course we can," he said. "Is everything alright?"

Sara dialed Lily's number and lifted the phone to her ear. She didn't know how to answer him because she didn't know what was wrong; it was something that she couldn't put her finger on. Something felt disturbing… and it scared her deeply.

"Lily's not answering," she said as she stood.

~8~

As they neared home, Grissom sped up. Whatever he had felt before, he was feeling it again seven-fold. Sara was right, there was something very wrong. As he drove nearer to the house, he was afraid that he would see fire trucks. When he turned onto their street, his worst fears were realized. There were no fire trucks outside of their home, but there were police cars.

"Oh my god!" Sara said as she gripped his arm tightly.

Grissom pressed his foot down onto the accelerator and steered the car forcefully onto the shoulder. Sara was out of the car running before he had put it in park, and Grissom didn't bother to turn the engine off. The both ran up to the front door and were greeted by a group of officers — not campus security, but Las Vegas policemen.

Lily Flynn sat on the couch. Blood was trickling down from a wound on her head. When she saw Grissom and Sara she went white.

"What happened?!" Sara asked desperately.

"I woke up on the floor. There was somebody… the baby! I went in to see if the baby was okay…" Lily sobbed.

Sara didn't wait for her to finish her sentence. She ran from the the living room, with Grissom not far behind her, and threw open the door to the nursery. Inside was an officer, but there was also another person that she didn't want to see there — a CSI. She went pale and stumbled over to the crib.

"Why didn't someone call us!?" Grissom asked loudly.

"We just got here," an officer said. He put a hand on Sara's arm. "Mam, you have to step back."

Sara pulled her arm away forcefully and pulled back the small quilt that was in the crib. There was no Emily there. The only trace of Emily was the small, pink sock that went with the pair that she had been wearing.

"Where's my baby?" she said in a low voice. "In the ambulance?"

Someone put a hand on her back, but she didn't turn around. Incoherently, she remembered someone telling her that Emily was not in the house. She heard Grissom's voice booming loudly and she heard the officers telling him to calm down.

Then, she remembered nothing.

~8~

Sara didn't remember falling asleep. She just simply woke up in her bed. Grissom wasn't there, but she could hear him in the kitchen talking to someone. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Reality started to slowly settle over her, but she didn't want to believe it. Instead she stepped out of bed and shakily walked into the nursery. The policemen and the CSI from the night before were gone, but she didn't remember them leaving. She approached the crib, looked in, and picked up the little pink sock that she had slipped onto her daughter's foot.

"Oh my god!" Sara cried as she sank to her knees. "Not my little girl!"

She heard footsteps rush down the hall and she felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders. "Honey," Grissom said in a hoarse and depressed voice. "you need to go back to bed."

Sara shook her head. "I don't want to be in bed," she sobbed. "I want my baby. I want my little girl back. The Doctor... he's not dead. He never was dead."

Grissom took her in his arms and hugged her close to him. "I'll get her back. I will," he sobbed into her hair. "She'll be okay."

Sara shook her head. "What if she's cold?" she cried. "or wet? or scared? She's probably so scared without us and she doesn't understand!"

Grissom couldn't respond because he was thinking the exact same thing. Whenever their daughter needed anything, she always had her parents to meet her needs. There was nothing that you could do as a parent when your child went missing. It made you feel pathetic as a human and violated at the same time.

"Gil," Jim said from the door. "I just got a call."

Grissom stood quickly. "About what?" he asked. "is it Emmy? Has she been found?"

Brass and Grissom left the room for a moment and Sara heard faint whispering. She strained her ears for news of Emily and struggled to stand. The paramedics must have given her a sedative because she was feeling the effects of one.

"What?!" Grissom said. "And when were we going to be told this?!"

"Gil, I just…. they just told me," Brass replied. "if I knew I would have told you."

"What?" Sara said as she entered the hallway. "What? Has she been found? Is she hurt?"

"Stephanie Jones got out of prison," Grissom said to her.

Sara gasped. "What!?" she said. "How could someone just not tell us that?"

Sara began to sob again and Gil went into the kitchen. He returned with a wet cloth and a glass of water.

"Drink," he said as he put her hand around the glass.

She drank it down and handed him the glass. She was still sobbing as he wiped her face with the cloth and then wiped her neck. His own eyes were red and huge, dark circles were under his eyes.

"Let's lay down," he said to her. "Jim'll be here."

Brass nodded. "Yeah, I'll be right here. Go lay down. If I hear anything you'll know first."

Sara turned with Grissom to walk back to bed. She didn't want to be asleep when her baby was out there somewhere. She needed to be looking for her.

"What did they give me?" she asked as Grissom pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"They just gave you a sedative," he replied. "You… understandably freaked out. You don't remember?"

Sara shook her head and took the family photo off of her nightstand. She held it against her chest tightly and sobbed. None of this seemed real to her, it seemed as if it were all some kind of nightmare. Grissom slipped into bed and pulled her close to him.

"I don't want to go back to sleep!" she cried into his shirt. "We need to go out and look for her!"

"We will," Grissom said to her. "Let's rest together for a little while. Then we'll go out."

Grissom held her close to him and they cried together. He hadn't felt this much physical pain in years. He had failed Emily as a father. All he wanted now, more than anything, was his little girl back.


	25. Chapter 25

"Have you seen this little girl?" Sara asked holding out a flier.

They had made more than a thousand fliers with Emily's picture on the front. They offered a very substantial reward to anyone with useable information. They had gotten a lot of calls, but every bit of information that they had received had led to a dead end. They had gone to multiple neighborhoods and cities handing them out. It had been almost a week since their nightmare began.

"She's one year old," she explained to a gas station attendant. "Her name is Emily. She was wearing a…. blue pajamas and little pink socks…."

The attendant took the flier. "I'll hang it up," he told her.

"She has dark hair and… she…. thank you," she said backed out of the door.

~8~

Grissom rarely went to work anymore. Instead, he had a teaching assistant help him through his classes. His automatic response was to shut off entirely, but he felt his daughter was still alive somewhere; when she came home they would still need to provide for her. While he was at work, Sara would go into Emily's room and hold articles of clothing up to her nose to inhale the sweet scent of her daughter. Her blanket held the most memories.

One day, while she was going through the toy basket that they kept in the livingroom, Grissom walked through the door. He didn't interrupt what she was doing. Instead, he set down his satchel and watched sadly as she pressed buttons on one of Emily's musical toys.

"This color is 'Green'," the toy said before it began to play music.

Grissom remembered that Emily would rock her body from side-to-side as the music played. Then, she would continue to press more buttons until she grew tired of it. She would toss it aside, grasp for the next toy, and the cycle would begin again.

"Honey," Grissom said as he came closer to her.

"Oh!" Sara said, quickly putting the toy away. "I was just… looking at her things."

He walked over to sit beside her, put his hand in the basket, and pulled out a 'See-n-Say'. He pulled down the yellow lever and they listened as it talked. When it was finished, Sara put her head in her hands and began to sob.

~8~

Emily didn't understand what these people weren't getting. If she told them once, she told them a thousand times. It frustrated her to no end that nobody was listening to her.

"Mah," she said again loudly.

"_Bring me my mother." _

Instead of listening to her, the man she was with picked her up and set her in a highchair. Emily didn't know that the man she was with was The Doctor, and she didn't know that she had been kidnapped. All she knew that her parents weren't here, no one was listening, and her toys were gone. She didn't like this new, strange place.

"Dah dah da dah!" she screamed, kicking her legs as violently as she could.

"_I want my daddy, you idiot!" _

"Aubry, time for dinner," The Doctor said.

'Aubry' wasn't her word. Her word was 'Emily'– at least that's what her parents called her. The Doctor sat down in a chair in front of her and offered her a spoonful of food.

"Noooo!" she screamed, turning her head away from the food.

"Your mother will be here soon," he said to her. "Be a good girl for Daddy."

"_Daddy?" _

Emily turned her head to look behind her, but there was no Daddy there. She turned back around and wondered why this man had played a trick on her.

"Da!" she said, pointing to the door.

"Yes," The Doctor said. "I'm your Daddy."


	26. Chapter 26

Another week without Emily dragged past. There was still no clue as to where she had gone. No one had seen a car, and none of the security cameras on campus had picked up anything. It was as if they're baby girl had just vanished. Sara found herself going insane, or at least that was what it felt like to her. Grissom rarely spoke to her — what would they talk about? Their life — their whole world — was gone now.

He blamed her for all of this.

No one needed to tell her that this was her fault — she already knew it was. She would rather wake up in that horrendous white room than be without Emily. She prayed nightly —even though praying wasn't her habit — that someone would come and take her instead.

~8~

Grissom didn't know how to respond to his wife.

They were both experiencing more anguish than they thought was possible. He had felt this before when Sara had been taken the first time, but now it was tripled. Emily wouldn't be able to call out for help like Sara had been able to.

Sara blamed him for this.

She didn't need to tell him because he felt it. He should never had convinced her to leave the house and the daughter. They could have celebrated at home. If they had, then none of this would have happened.

~8~

"Have you seen this little girl?" Sara asked an attendant at a convenience store.

The woman took the flier and studied the picture of Emily. They had used the most recent picture of her for the flier: the one that had been taken of her and Grissom in his office.

"She's been missing for two weeks," she stated as tears began to leak from her eyes. "She has curly brown hair and dark eyes. Her name is Emily."

The woman shook her head sadly. "I'll post it," she said.

Sara pulled out her debit card. "Can we…. get ten gallons on number four?" she asked.

The attendant rang up the total for her and Sara ran her card through. She signed the pad and then returned it to the pocket of her sweatpants.

~8~

They stayed out until midnight passing out fliers and returned home defeated. So far, they had spread fliers in a two hundred mile radius, faxed some to police departments nation-wide, and have even discussed paying for a billboard. Though their bodies were drained of energy, they wouldn't stop.

"I guess tomorrow we can start earlier," Grissom said as he slid Sara's coat off. "Maybe we can split up and cover more area."

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Did Brass call today? Did he talk to Stephanie Jones' parole officer?"

He shook his head sadly. "No call yet," he breathed out.

Sara hung her head and shuffled into the bedroom. The bedroom was a disaster, but they were not bothered by it in the least — they didn't sleep in there. They had laid an air mattress in the middle of the nursery and that was where they felt the most comfortable. She sank onto their makeshift bed and pulled a blanket over her.

"Honey, let's eat," Grissom said. "We have some of that pasta that Nick brought over."

Sara shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she said.

He pulled her close to him and laid his head on her shoulder. "We need to … take care of ourselves," he said. "When she comes home she'll need us."

Sara pulled herself away. "I said I'm fine," she said coldly. "I just want to go to sleep."

Grissom pulled her close to him again. "Baby, I love you," he said. "We're going to be okay. "

Sara groaned. "Why don't you just say it already!" she said as she sat up to look at him. "It's my fault! This is all my fault!"

Grissom looked at her sadly. "This isn't your fault," he said. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine. We should've stayed at home."

Sara didn't feel like arguing. She laid back down and she felt Grissom kick off his shoes and get under the blanket with her. He pulled her close to him, but she didn't want to be held. Instead of fighting him, she let him hold her because she knew he needed to.

~8~

Sara woke up and sat upright. She wasn't sure what had woken her up, but she she knew that she'd rather be unconscious. Sleep was better than living in a world without her daughter, but sleep brought dreams of Emily.

She laid back on the mattress and pulled herself closer to Grissom. She didn't know what was happening between them, but whatever it was wasn't good. It was as if their grief was so overwhelming that she couldn't function. Emily looked just like her father and every time she looked at him, she saw Emily. She had no reason to feel a bit of happiness while her daughter was lost.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin and tried to go to sleep again, but there was something in the dark that was sending shivers down her spine. Finally, she fell back to sleep. As always, she dreamed of her innocent, curly-haired child.

~8~

The next time she woke up, she knew what had woken her up. She had heard something creak, a sound that was not common in their house at night. She shook Grissom's arm until he groaned and she leaned down to whisper into his ear.

"Gil, someone is in the house," she said.

He sat up the rest of the way and strained his own ears to hear. He heard nothing, but pushed back the blankets and stood. Sara stood too, but he put his hand out to gesture for her to stay there.

He opened the nursery door silently and crept into the hallway. The only light on was the bathroom light, but that was usual. They often left it on so they could see if they got up in the night to comfort Emily.

He stepped into the hallway and listened intently. He didn't hear anything, but he felt something was there. The hairs on his neck stood on end and he slipped his hand into the hall closet to grab a bat.

Sara followed close behind. Every time Grissom took a step closer to the living room, so did she. He looked back at her and waved for her to go back into the nursery, but she shook her head. She wasn't about to let Grissom face an attacker alone — if that was what it was.

Grissom flicked on the overhead light, looked around, and lowered his bat. "There's nobody," he said.

From around the corner, he was hit with a metal bar. It looked like a crowbar from where Sara was standing, but she couldn't be certain. All she knew was that her husband had been hit over the head. A man stepped into her line-of-site. A big man who was dressed all in black. He had a black stocking over his face, and he seemed to be looking right at her.

Sara looked down at Grissom and realized that she was empty-handed. She dove back for the nursery, but the man in black dove for her and gripped her around the wrist faster than she realized he could've. She screamed at him and flashed a foot out to kick him where she knew it would hurt the most. The man grasped her ankle and Sara felt herself falling. She hit the floor with a bone-rattling thud.

Then, she was released and she crab-walked backwards before she had time to question how she had gotten free. Grissom had gotten up and was fighting with the man, but he was proving to be much stronger than her husband. As the men fought, Sara scrambled for the bat that Grissom had brought. She found it, wielded it, and brought it down on their attacker's head.

The man wobbled and released Grissom, who dove at the man and pinned him to the ground. Sara wielded her bat again, but then a realization came over her: this man had something to do with Emily's kidnapping.

"Where's my daughter!?" she demanded, holding the bat up.

The man ignored her and continued to fight with Grissom. Out of nowhere, the man produced a syringe and before she could warn Grissom, it was jammed into her husband's side and the plunger was pressed.

"Gil!" Sara said, dropping the bat and diving for him.

Whatever this man had used worked quickly. Grissom fought to stay conscious, but he lost the fight and slipped into the abyss. Sara shook him and attempted to pull him backwards into the safety of the nursery — or what she considered safe at the time.

"Six!" The man said to her.

Sara stopped and looked at him. The name 'Six' was not one she wanted to hear ever again, and the sound of it angered her. Yet, somehow she knew it was connected to Emily. If The Doctor was behind this, and she knew he was, then this man had the answer.

"Listen to my voice, Six," he said.

Sara took a step backwards. "Emily… give her to me," she demanded, knowing full well he wouldn't.

"Six…. shhhh," the man said as he reached for his mask.

The mask was removed and Sara stared into the face of an older man — around Grissom's age. He had salt-and-pepper hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. He looked at her with patience, but a patient look on a man who broke into your home and incapacitated your husband was insanity.

"It's me," The Doctor said. "Come with me. Aubry's waiting."

"Aubry? My daughter's name is Emily," Sara responded.

"It's always been Aubry and you've always been my favorite, Six," he said. "You're the mother to the children. Come with me… she's waiting for you. She asks for you every day."

Sara looked down at Grissom and knelt beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed. She was going with The Doctor to be his prisoner again. Grissom would wake up, and he would find his wife gone.

And she would be Six again.


	27. Chapter 27

When Grissom woke up his head was killing him. He put his hands to his head, groaned and sat up straight. He tried to urge himself to remember what had happened. Had he gone out for a night of drinking? He looked around and realized that he was lying in the hallway. He struggled to remember what had happened, but all his mind's eye could see was darkness.

"Sara!" he called.

He licked his lips to find that they were numb and chapped. On the floor beside him lay a baseball bat, a crowbar, and a syringe. Fuzzy memories flooded back and he pulled himself to his feet. This sent a shock wave through his body and rang the alarm bells in his head.

"Answer me, Sara!" he called again.

He stumbled to the nursery, but she was not in there. He saw that their makeshift bed was empty, then he remembered her waking him up to tell him that someone had broken into their house. He gripped his head again and felt that his head was burning with fever. He knew that something insidious had happened — something sinister.

"Sara," he said. "say something!"

He stumbled all over the house, but she was nowhere. Finally, after he had searched every room, he fumbled for his phone and dialed Brass. There was no way that all of this was happening again. He was already torn up about Emily's kidnapping, and now he lost his wife as well. He couldn't go through this again, but instead of feeling depression he felt anger.

~8~

Brass couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. A CSI had come to collect the bat, the crowbar, and the syringe. Grissom still could not remember exactly what had happened, and he hoped that whatever was in that syringe could explain why his memory had holes in it.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Brass asked as a paramedic lifted up his eyelids to look into each pupil.

"Sara… we came in and laid down. She woke me up … and said she heard someone," he replied. "I swear to God Jim, I'm going to kill this man."

Brass frowned. "Did you lock all the doors?"

"Of course we lock the doors," Grissom said. "And the windows. It's a habit."

"Did she leave? Did you two get into an argument?" the paramedic asked.

"I doubt we got into an argument with one of us brandishing a syringe," Grissom said sarcastically.

"Look, Grissom," Brass said. "Get checked out. I'll be in touch. I haven't heard from the parole officer. I'm about to pay him a visit."

~8~

Sara woke up to a familiar voice. It was so high-pitched and sweet, that she thought she was dreaming again. She struggled to remember what caused her massive headache, then it all flooded back to her.

The Doctor. Grissom. Emily.

"Mah! Mah-MAH!" Emily cried to her.

Sara sat upright in a flash and turned her head in the direction of the small voice. There, in a crib across the room, was Emily. She was no longer in her blue pajamas, but a pair of green ones.

"Mah-mah, Mah-mah"" Emily sobbed desperately, holding out her arms and crying.

Sara rose on shaky legs and quickly made her way over to the crib. She reached in and lifted Emily up. She felt like she weighed more and, though it had only been a couple of weeks, her hair seemed longer.

"Oh, Emmy! she cried, burying her head in the mass of curls and hugging the little girl to her chest.

The baby in her arms cried out of relief of seeing her mother after so long. Sara sat down on the corner of the bed and inspected Emily from top to bottom. After she was positive that the baby wasn't hurt, she redressed her and cradled her in her arms. She buried her face in her hair and inhaled the sweet smell of her child.

"Sweet Emmy," Sara soothed as she kissed her face. "Mommy's here."

Emily gripped her mother's shirt. "Da!" she said.

"We'll get Daddy," Sara said. "We'll get home. Just trust Mommy. I got us out of this mess once I can do it again."

~8~

After she had a satisfying reunion with her daughter, Sara began to look around the room. It began to sink in that she was The Doctor's captive again. but she didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment. The room she was in contained a dresser, a twin-sized bed, a crib, and a changing table. The changing table had drawers that were filled with diapers and other things needed to look after a small child.

She tried the knob of the door and was surprised to find that it was unlocked. She hoisted Emily up onto her hip and, very carefully, peeked into the hallway. Unlike her previous prison, everything was colorful and homey; It looked to be a normal, family home. She stole quickly down the hall and down a set of stairs. Emily whined at the speed at which they were walking, but Sara didn't slow down.

"Good morning," she heard a voice say when she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Sara skidded to a halt and saw The Doctor sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee. It was odd that he was sitting there so calmly, as if he didn't abduct a mother and child. Sara ignored him and tried the front door. It was locked, but that didn't stop her from screaming and pulling on it with all her might.

"Keep trying," The Doctor said to her. "It won't budge. I had it custom made."

Sara abandoned the door and went to the window. The Doctor didn't move. He simply sat back and watched as she attempted to escape. The window was double paned with an unbelievably hard glass. She slammed her fist into the window, causing Emily to jump and cover her ears.

"In the event that you ever make it through that glass, there are bars there to prevent you from getting out," The Doctor said nonchalantly.

Sara didn't pay him any attention. She rushed past him and into a laundry room. There as a back door there, and she tugged on it with all her might. It was stuck — it felt like it wouldn't budge even if it were hit with a truck.

"These doors are a special design," he said. " if you do manage to open one, an alarm will go off and the dog pens will open."

Sara sank to her knees with Emily. "Dog pens?" she said.

The Doctor stood to empty his mug. "Yes, I have four trained doberman pinchers that are taught to attack. They release only on command, so unless you want to be ripped apart I suggest you stay inside while I'm gone."

"Gone? Gone where?" she asked, trying her best to remain calm.

"To work," he replied. "while I'm gone I expect you to do your wifely duties. Cooking and cleaning… seeing to Aubry."

"Stop calling her that," Sara spat. "My daughter's name is Emily. Emily Grissom."

"No," he countered. "Our daughter's name is Aubry. And you can call me by my name, Dear."

"Which is…?" she responded.

"Simon," he answered.

"Why me? Why can't you just let us go home?" Sara asked. "What purpose could this possibly be serving."

"I'm a good man," he said. "I pay my dues and I had a caring family. One day, my wife became angry with me and burned the house down, with the children inside. I don't believe I deserved this, and I'm making it my personal goal to pull my family back together."

"Look," she started. "I'm so sorry about that. I know that that can feel like an empty gesture, but I am so sorry for your loss. But Emily is not Aubry — she is mine. I am not your dead wife."

"Of course you're not Carol!" The Doctor buttered out. "Why would I want another murdering psychopath? This arrangement will be simple for you: stay inside, take care of our children, and you'll be taken care of. You have no reason to run."

"I do because you are holding me against my will!" Sara pointed out. "I have a husband."

He walked over to her, kissed Emily on the head, and then kissed her on the cheek. "I am giving you _**one**_ warning, none of that talk.," he said as she pulled away from him with disgust.


	28. Chapter 28

Sara did not know how to respond to anything that was going on around her right now. She simply sat on the floor, beside the back door, and listened as The Doctor talked about how escape-proof her new prison was. Though the man had a name now, she did not want to call him by it. To her, he would alway just be The Doctor he didn't deserve a name.

"Leave Aubry for a moment," he said. "I want to show you something."

He didn't wait for her to accept or decline. He grasped her firmly by the arm and led her to a side window; outside she could see emptiness. As far as her eye would allow, she saw nothing but flat land. It was obviously not an area she was familiar with because the landscape was different.

"See all that," he said. "You can run for days, but I guarantee you that you won't see anything for miles. "

Sara began to feel the effects of hopelessness seep into her veins. She gazed around the flat land and saw the run of dog pens that The Doctor had mentioned. Inside the run she saw the tall, muscular animals. They would definitely overpower her if she made a break for it.

"When I come back home I want dinner on the table, Aubry happy and ready to eat, and a clean house. Do you understand me?" he said to her

Sara gaped at him. What kind of husband had he been? Who did he think she was? Grissom never spoke to her like that. He never demanded that she cook or do housework.

"I'm not your slave!" Sara hissed at him.

The Doctor turned and picked up Emily. She screamed as he lifted her up and she kicked her legs at him— she knew that this man wasn't a friend. He held her out for Sara to see.

"i can just take Aubry with me for the day if this family is not going to work out," he said.

"Okay okay," Sara pleaded, holding her arms out. "Yes, I understand. Just… give her to me."

He handed Emily to her and she held the baby close to her until she stopped crying. The Doctor picked up a briefcase, straightened his tie in a mirror, and turned to leave.

"There is food in the refrigerator and cleaning supplies in the closet," he said as he opened the door. "don't dissapoint me."

~8~

Sara parted a curtain and watched as The Doctor pulled out of the driveway. He gave her a friendly wave, and she returned his gesture with one of her own. When he had driven down the street and was out of sight, she sat Emily on a loveseat and picked up a nearby bar-stool. With all her might she swung the stool into the window. It didn't break the first time she hit it, nor the second or third. After countless swings she set the stool down and hung her head.

"I'm sorry Emmy," she said. "I'm so so sorry."

Emily looked at her patiently and then clapped her hands together. She was too young to understand what was going on, but she knew something was different. She pointed to her mother and whimpered.

"Muh Muh," she said. "Muh Muh Da!"

Sara nodded. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "We're screwed."

She picked Emily back up and toted her into the kitchen. She wasn't about to cook nor clean for The Doctor, but she would at least feed herself and her daughter. She wasn't going to die in this prison.

The refrigerator was full of food, which, instead of finding it surprising, Sara found eerie. She picked up a bag of baby carrots and read the label. It was the _**exact **_ same kind that she bought for Emily. A memory of her daughter nibbling a carrot that she had gotten from the play group flooded back to her. Had The Doctor been watching them even then? Did he follow them and hand Emily the carrot?

"Care… care care…" Emily smiled, holding her hand out.

"You want a carrot?" Sara asked, opening the back and placing one into her small, open palm.

"Mmm!" Emily responded as she quickly brought it to her mouth.

There was a high chair sitting nearby and Sara set the little girl in it. She looked around the kitchen and started to search for any sort of weapon. Maybe she could run at The Doctor with a knife or a fork when he entered. There was a chance that he could overpower her, but she wasn't about to simply tolerate this life.

She opened drawer after drawer, looking for anything that could be of use. Hell, at this time she would settle for a potato peeler. However, each drawer contained the same thing — nothing. There were plastic utensils in one drawer, but the were flimsy. In one of the overhead cabinets, she did find a frying pan. It was small, but she would use it if she must.

"Muh!" Emily said loudly.

Sara turned around and walked over to her. She lifted the baby up, smelled her, and then laid her on her shoulder.

"Potty training is around the corner," she said as she took the baby back upstairs.

She didn't want to take advantage of anything The Doctor provided for her. She hated him and wanted him to suffer, yet she needed to comfort and care for Emily. She laid her on the changing table in the room she woke up in and opened the drawers.

She found the _**exact **_brand that she bought for her, as wells as the same diaper cream and baby lotion. She changed her daughter quickly, but not without going through their normal routine. She would always take advantage of the exposed stomach of her daughter and blow a loud raspberry on it. Emily anticipated it every time she was changed and she squealed with delight.

"There's my happy girl," Sara said as she lifted a clean Emily back up and onto her shoulder.

She walked around the upstairs portion of the house, rocking Emily from side-to-side as she walked. All of the windows were the same: barred and unbreakable. Each room was empty, but in the last room Sara was unnerved at what she found: five other little cribs.

The doctor was planning on taking the other babies too.


	29. Chapter 29

**Dear Readers,**

**After a very long hiatus, I am trying to get back on track. This needs to be my outlet, and I also owe you endings and new stories. I have been so so busy, and I want to thank everyone for reading and being part of my amazing fanfiction journey. I love you guys.**

* * *

~8~

Sara didn't do any of the things that The Doctor — Simon — had asked her to do. She had, though, tested every window and found it impenetrable. She had beaten both doors with heavy chairs, and she had scoured every inch of the house for a phone. There was absolutly nothing short of setting the house on fire could do for her. And even then she couldn't put faith in the smoke detector.

She took her time, stood on chairs, and looked for cameras. She couldn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Finally, after she had done all that she could, she settled down on the kitchen floor with Emily. There were no toys in the home — or house. There was no way in Hell that she was going to refer to it as a home, so she had given the child the plastic utensils.

"What do I do, Gil?" she whispered into her hands.

She was done crying. She was out of the energy that it took to feel sorry for herself. She needed her anger to help her and Emily through it. She needed her rage to fill her soul.

"Mah," Emily cooed, offering Sara the spoon.

Sara took the spoon. "What are we eating?" she asked.

Emily babbled, and Sara took a playful bite. "Mmm, lobster ravioli," she said. "Mommy is a vegetarian, could you make something else?"

As if she understood, Emily took the spoon back and proceeded to stir the linoleum kitchen floor. There had been many times when either she or Grissom would be cooking and Emily would watch their actions from her high chair. She knew that the busyness at the stove produced food.

"Da da da," Emily added with a serious look.

Sara shook her head. "No, Daddy isn't going to join us tonight honey," she said sadly.

~8~

While Emily napped in the crib, Sara decided to shower. It made her skin tingle to take her clothes off in her prison, but she didn't smell appealing and she felt uncomfortable. The shower that had been provided for her was modest, yet had everything she needed. It had every brand-name product that she typically used. The Doctor had even provided the same sanitary napkins that she was accustomed to.

As she showered, she let her mind wonder about the other five cribs that she had seen. Each one had a name-plate above it and each one had been decorated. They looked ready to be occupied.

After she had finished her shower, she pulled her clothes back on, but stopped when she felt something solid in the pocket of her sweatpants. She put her hand in and withdrew her debit card. A flood of excitement and relief washed over her. If she could get out, then she could leave a paper trail.

Her feelings quickly faded. How could she get out? She was stuck in this cell, and it would be years, if that, until she felt the outside world.

But it was hope. It was a chance and an opportunity that she needed to save.

~8~

Just like in here white-roomed cell, this new prison had no clocks. She wasn't expecting The Doctor to return and she wasn't phased when he pulled into the driveway. She wasn't afraid of him and she didn't intend to show him fear. How dare he impose his will on her life. With the amount of suffering that she had endured as a child, he had no right to anything about her.

When he keyed into the house, Sara heard several locks tumble. All of the locks were located on the other side of the door, so there was no way she could pick the dead-bolts. When he stepped into the house, he saw Sara sitting on the couch. He looked at her with anger and let the door slam shut behind him.

"Sara, I told you to do your duties," he said.

"You have no right to tell me what to do," she said as she stood. "I am not your property. I don't work for you."

He took a step closer to her. "Where is Aubry?" he asked.

"I saw the cribs," she said. "What are you planning? What do you think you are doing?"

The Doctor set down his briefcase. He was silent as he moved, and it was the silence that started to scare her.

"When I was young I had a horse on my grandfather's farm," he said. "It was wild and my grandfather told me that if I broke it would be mine."

Sara wrinkled her nose, she knew where this was going. "So, you think if you 'break' me, then you can own me?" she asked.

The Doctor smiled. "I'm sure that is the same thing the horse thought," he said. "I started off gentle. I offered it carrots and then finally I had to resort to more physical measures."

Sara grew quiet. She felt like she was a kid again. She felt like a defenseless child that was looking up at a parent who was about to explode angrily. It was horrifying how someone could make a person feel that way.

"I built this home for you," The Doctor said as he approached her. "I bought you everything you could need."

He grabbed her before Sara could think, and then she felt truly afraid. It was terrifying how small she felt. He dragged her into the kitchen, threw open the refrigerator, and pointed.

"Look at all this!" he shouted at her. "All I wanted was dinner on the table.

He looked at her again, as if he intended to hit her, but then let her go. His features softened, and for that brief moment Sara was grateful towards him. He looked down at her sadly, and then walked towards the staircase. He ascended softly and soon returned with Emily in his arms.

"This is my fault," he said, not stopping in the kitchen, but into a room just off the living room.

This room was his. Sara had searched it for a phone and a way out, but had found none. He disappeared inside with the baby, and the emerged without her. Sara went rigid at the sight.

"What?" she gaped as she pulled herself to her feet.

The Doctor locked the door. "Last try," he said calmly. "I'm going out. When I come back I want you to have the house cleaned and dinner on the table."

Sara opened her mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it. She couldn't argue or fight her way out of this — Emily was at risk. She needed to think fast and approach her situation from another angle. What if she agreed to everything that he was demanding of her? What would happen to her then? Would he trust her and let her out?

"Yes," she squeaked out. "If I do this will you give me my daughter."

"What is your daughter's name?" he asked her daringly.

Sara blinked back the tears that were straining to break through. "Aubry," she sobbed.

~8~

She did what he asked her to do. She opened a lower kitchen-cabinet, found the cleaning supplies, and set to work. She cleaned the house from top to bottom, as thoroughly as she could. When she was finished, she washed up and started dinner. She worked as quickly as she could.

"Mah!" she heard Emily call from The Doctor's locked bedroom door.

Emily had been calling her for hours, and she constantly stopped her work so that she could try and peek underneath the door. She put her ear to the wood and spoke through to the little girl.

"Mommy's coming," she said. "Just a little bit longer."

This type of separation from her child wasn't just sad — it was cruel and psychotic. If this is what he meant by 'breaking' her, then he had already won. She would not compete with him anymore.

Finally, after she had set the table in a June-Cleaver-Fashion, she heard the locks in the door tumble and The Doctor walked in. He closed the door soundlessly behind him, smiled at the sight of a set table, and then checked the house.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked as he looked over the meal that Sara had prepared.

He turned on his heel and, as promised, he unlocked the door and brought Emily out. The little girl eye's were beet-red, and she needed to be changed. She took the baby and immediately turned to clean the child.

"Tomorrow I expect a family dinner, Sara," he said as she left.

Sara wanted to unleash a slur of profanities, but she clenched her jaw.

"Yes," she answered.

"Yes, _Simon_," he said.

Sara swallowed. "Yes, Simon."


	30. Chapter 30

Dear Readers, I am quitting Facebook to do this and other productive things ( Sims 3, instruments, finally learning Korean) . Today, I am taking a bus to Seoul to see a friend. I wish I had the willpower to NOT hang out on Facebook all day, but it just isn't possible. I am still on Messenger.

* * *

~8~

Sara awoke to the shrill, piercing shriek of the old-fashioned alarm clock and let out a groan. She raised herself up by her forearms and willed herself to open her eyes. She blinked sleepily and soon her vision focused. Not seeing Grissom near her when she woke was something she couldn't get used to — he was too deeply embedded into her soul for her to ever forget.

The days seemed to bleed together into one stomach-churning witches brew. Every day, Simon had a new task for her to do or a new trick for her to learn. She would never get accustomed to a life in this prison, but she established her own routine to help time pass and to help keep her sanity intact.

The first thing that she would do every morning was to wake up before the break of dawn. Simon allowed her to have an old fashioned alarm clock, but not a calendar. So, while she did know the time, she did not know what day it was. The reason why she woke up so early was because she didn't want to run the risk of Simon seeing her shower. Getting undressed as his captive was unbearable enough, and the only peace she had, besides Emily, was knowing that he was asleep.

She wasn't sure if the love of her quiet shower time was a defense mechanism, or a symptom of Stockholm Syndrome, but whatever the reason was, she now had time to dream about the life she had once had. As she lathered her body and let the warm spray of water wash over her, she thought of her husband and the way his hands felt. She thought of simple things, like laughing together over a nerdy quirk that they shared or of a small, intimate joke. When all was said and done, it was the tiny moments that you missed the most. It was the moments when your lover made you feel as if you were the only woman in the room, and you just knew how he felt without him even uttering a word. Those were the moments that Sara ached for. Those were the moments that she was struggling to hold onto.

After her shower, which always included a violent crying jag, she stumbled out, dressed, and proceeded to clean her bedroom. Despite the fact that she had always been somewhat of a tidy woman, Simon was strict when it came to housekeeping. Her bedroom was to be immaculate. There was to be no creases in the bedspread, untidy drawers, clothing in sight, or uneven curtains. Though she wasn't a perfect wife, Grissom had never expected her to do anything that extreme. He had often pitched in to clean the house, even before Emily had been born. She didn't challenge Simon in this case because she didn't want to give him any reason to search the bedroom. The debit card, which was not only her hope but also lifeline to the past, was hidden between the planks underneath the bed.

Finally, when she was satisfied that everything was to her captor's liking, she lifted Emily out of her crib to dress her. Even her daughter had to be dressed in one of his pre-selected outfits, bathed, and calm for breakfast. Calm wasn't always one of Emily's characteristics, and Sara always found herself eating alone in her room where Simon could not hear her.

"Come on, baby girl," Sara said as she picked up the sleepy baby. "Time to do it all again."

~8~

"Here," Simon huffed to her one morning. "Take care of this today while I'm gone."

Sara looked into the bag and then quickly back up at him. The bag contained boxes of blonde hair dye, scissors, and make-up.

"What is this?" she asked.

"What does it look like," he answered curtly. "I won't have you noticed when we go out."

Sara felt a surge of adrenaline coursed through her body. The thought of being let out made her heart soar. If she could get through to someone, anyone, then she had a chance.

"Don't be too quick," Simon said as if he could read her thoughts.

Sara pretended to ignore his comment, but they stung her somewhere deep within. If she was separated from Emily, then he could disappear with her. And what if he left and kept her locked in the house for days… she would die.

"Change her hair color and yours," Simon said as he pushed past her and headed towards the front door. "Cut your own hair short."

He left the house before she could utter a word. The locks tumbled loudly, and she felt like Dorothy in _The Wizard of Oz _when the Wicked Witch of the West locked her away. Except, unlike the teenager from Kansas, she had no dog to save her and she wasn't dreaming.

~8~

Dyeing Emily's dark curls was heartbreaking, but somehow she was able to do it. The baby, like a child naturally would, squirmed and whimpered. She didn't understand all of the muck in her hair and the fumes of it were dangerous. She did the dyeing in the living room, which seemed to be the most ventilated room in the house.

After the job was done, Emily was a golden haired little girl. She still had her wide, dark eyes. If Simon expected her to mask the baby's natural eye color with lenses, then he was mistaken. It was absurd to even consider putting lenses into Emily's eyes! Sara let herself imagine what Grissom would say about the change in their daughter. In her mind she envisioned the home she shared with him.

It would be a typical day, she would have just completed her classes for the day and then would proceed to look through the cupboards for ingredients. Emily would be playing with a tiny pots-and-pans set that they had gotten her for Christmas. She would hear a car pull into the driveway and their dog — they had been planning on a new dog — would begin to bark. Her heart would flutter as it always did when he was in her proximity.

After that, the door would open and Emily would let out a squeal of joy. She would immediately drop whatever she was playing with, and proceed to scoot across the floor to her father.

"Emmy —," he would stop short. "Sara, what… why did you dye our child's hair?"

"Oh," she would respond. "I just… I thought."

Grissom, in his suit and tie that he hated to wear, would look up at her with his piercing blue eyes. He would gape at her own hair that would be cut short and also dyed. He could see the confusion in his face, but she wouldn't see judgement. They respected each other too much for that.

Emily's babbling broke her out of her fantasy. She looked at her new, golden haired daughter and sighed.

"Lunch, Emmy?" she said, lifting Emily onto her shoulder.

~0~

"I don't know why you do things like this to me," Simon said as he snipped the ends of Sara's hair carefully with a pair of scissors. "I give you everything you need."

When he had come home, he nodded at Emily's hair, but took one look at Sara and became furious. He thundered that she did a terrible job and stated that she was lucky she caught him on one of his good days. It made her wonder what a bad day looked like.

She had tried her best, after the dyeing, to cut her own hair. She cried as she recalled the many times Grissom would run his fingers through her hair. She loved wearing it around her shoulders. Now it was trimmed in a tomboyish pixie cut.

"You said that we'd go out," Sara whispered. "When?"

"Aubry needs to be in day school," he replied. "A wife and a husband enrolling a child together is beneficial. It will make us stronger as a family."

Sara panicked. "No," she whispered desperately. "She's fine with me. I need her here!"

Simon tugged on her hair firmly and Sata's neck snapped back. "You think I'm an idiot, don't you. You don't even call her Aubry! What kind of a mother are you?!"

Sara winced. Each word seemed to emphasised with a pull of her hair. "Because I named my daughter Emily!" she screamed.

Simon released her hair, and pulled her up by her shoulders. He gripped her upper arm tightly and led her down the hallway. He opened the door to the room her bedroom, flipped on the light, and dragged her toward Emil's crib. Inside the bed, Emily lay asleep, but Simon picked her up and she immediately began to whimper.

Sara's heart began to pound. "Give her to me," she whispered pleadingly. "She needs me. I'm her mother."

"You aren't acting like you want to be a part of this family," Simon pointed out calmly.

At that moment, realization struck her. She could be stuck here, in this place, for years. Grissom could die before she was free. All she had was Emily, just like before. She need to do everything she could to play along with this man. Her daughter was all she had left of her life before. Emily was a symbol of the passion that she had shared with Grissom.

"Give me Aubry," she said as calm as she could, forcing a smile. "I'm her mother, Dear."

Simon seemed satisfied and passed her Emily, who rested her head on Sara's shoulder. "There now," she cooed. "Let mommy and daddy go back to the kitchen. You go to sleep."

Simon laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be along later," he said as he left the room.

When she was sure that he was gone, Sara her dam break. A flood of tears spilled down her cheeks and she hugged Emily to her.

~0~

That night before bed, Sara crawled under the bed and withdrew the debit card from its hiding place. She looked at the raised, typed, letters on the plastic. Her name had once been Sara Grissom. She looked at the long, sixteen digit card number and laughed. She remembered typing it in numerous time to pay bills online. She slipped the card back into it's place and scooted out from under the bed.

When she stood, she imagined that Grissom was behind her. He had a habit of walking up behind her and squeezing her shoulders lovingly.

"Are you feeling alright tonight?" Which was his code for sexual desire.

"Yeah," she would whisper back to him.

Her body and soul ached for the nights when they would make love. Afterwards, they would lie together. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they wouldn't need to.

"Oh, Gil!" Sara choked as she cried herself to sleep.


End file.
